1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
he remained closemouthed about their activities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
encourage the closemouthed children to speak up and not be shy
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Recent Examples of closemouthed
There’s also the closemouthed, menacing technician who lives on a houseboat and raises snakes; the actress first hired for the show’s leading part who dropped out of the role before shooting began; and the unknown burglar who fled the frightened player’s house.
—
Tom Nolan, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.
—Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2021
Ever since the couple pulled up stakes and moved away from the United Kingdom in March, their new spokespeople have been even more closemouthed.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2020
Led by Vice President Temer, whose cryptic, closemouthed demeanor has his rivals comparing him to a butler in a horror movie, the centrists anchoring Ms. Rousseff’s coalition broke away last week.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2016
Tom Nolan, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.
—Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2021
Ever since the couple pulled up stakes and moved away from the United Kingdom in March, their new spokespeople have been even more closemouthed.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2020
Led by Vice President Temer, whose cryptic, closemouthed demeanor has his rivals comparing him to a butler in a horror movie, the centrists anchoring Ms. Rousseff’s coalition broke away last week.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closemouthed
Adjective
-
Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez appears destined for free agency as contract talks are reportedly completely silent.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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As foreign dignitaries descend in Beijing this week, the conflicting narratives on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are a reminder that eight decades after Japan's surrender, the guns may be silent, but the battle over the legacy of the war is far from over.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The journey is comfortable, with reserved seats, onboard restrooms, and no worries about parking or crowded overlooks.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
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Garnish with reserved fennel fronds.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Musk and Gebbia have maintained a close professional relationship; Gebbia sits on Tesla’s board and was introduced to DOGE earlier this year through Musk.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
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Recent polling has shown Mamdani as the clear front-runner in the field, but the race gets closer when in a three-way contest with Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
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Sometimes, actors play a slightly dumber iteration of themselves; think James Van Der Beek in Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 and Liam Neeson in Life’s Too Short (a performance that got Neeson cast in this year’s The Naked Gun).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This type of unvarnished discourse is refreshing in a game filled with dishonesty, spin, and secretive media briefings.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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But if such factors tempered the public’s instinct to rush to the harshest judgments, the ordeal also revealed how the corporatization of sports betting had done little to snuff out a secretive underworld estimated to be responsible for $64 billion in illicit wagers annually.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Classical minimalism, meant to evoke modest virtue and restrained power, is a good style for a democratic state.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
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The sizable rooms offer a restrained elegance, with white marble bathrooms, mid-century modern furniture, and black-and-white photos of striking architecture on the walls.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One result of the growth is a quiet boom in Southeast Asian grocery stores and restaurants.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Inside, lofted seating positions deliver an elevated view while quilted semi-aniline leather and acoustic glass buffer passengers in comfort and quiet.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And when at 1587 Prime, Mahomes won’t be reticent about asking for ketchup.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
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Despite constant comments about how Kafka’s stories spoke to the public, Holland is reticent to illustrate any specifics.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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