CLAMMED UP Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

clammed up

verb

past tense of clam up

as in hushed

to stop talking the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of clammed up Anyone asked by local or national media over the past few months if they’d been invited to the nuptials clammed up quickly. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026 On Israel, a lot of candidates have clammed up. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 The Arrested Development actor clammed up when Smartless cohost Jason Bateman brought up Arnett's ex-wife and their bathroom habits. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026 The atmosphere had changed—security kept an eye out for media to turn away at the entrance, and golfers clammed up when asked what was going on at the club. — Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026 But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up. — Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026 The famously outgoing media personality clammed up, on air and off, thanks to a terrifying stranger. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clammed up

Verb

The impact is lavish yet hushed; welcoming yet sharply articulated.

— Genevieve Walker, Architectural Digest, 2 Aug. 2026
But within the cozy world of footballing governance, any dissent was mostly hushed—except in Norway.

— Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026

Definition of hushed

Verb

That fell apart in the 1979 Iranian Oil Crisis when companies that lost Iranian supplies cut off their customers, sending them into the market to buy up spot supplies, which soon dried up.

— Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
That fight or flight kicked in and all of the saliva in my mouth completely dried up.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026

Definition of dried up

Verb

Layoffs in the gaming industry have seen almost 60,000 roles cut worldwide since 2022; multiple studios and publishers have shut up shop for good.

— David Prosser, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Doing it with 10 men against Mexico or in the closing stages against Norway is one thing; trying to shut up shop against a team with Argentina’s firepower for more than half an hour was an act of self sabotage.

— The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of shut up

Browse Nearby Words

clammed

clammed up

clamminess

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“Clammed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clammed%20up. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of clammed up

verb

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