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
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As Jaclyn and Kate wax poetic about a dream vacation that never happened, Laurie’s weary, silent glances seem to tee up an explosive confrontation.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Tisdale refused to stay silent, and texted the group after being left behind on another plan.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Free, or $32 for a reserved seat and book copy.—
La Jolla Light,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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Stir in the reserved sausage, beans and turnip greens.—
Erin Merhar,
Southern Living,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Traffic concerns remained a prominent theme of the more than 100 emails the city received in early December, but many people expressed excitement at the prospect of a closer Costco.—
Rose Evans
January 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
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The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
As Legally Blonde's Elle Woods, Witherspoon charted a memorable path from dumb blonde to Harvard Law School graduate.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
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Celebrities fight it out to be eliminated from the competition as quickly as possible to avoid being crowned the nation’s dumbest.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In the late 1960s, Fowler was charged with the Herculean task of planning and building Disney’s secretive Project X — which would become Florida’s Magic Kingdom.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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The decision was a significant win for the town leadership, which has been under political fire from a band of detractors accusing it of being secretive and ignoring the will of voters.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Flanagan stars as Betty, a proud but emotionally restrained mother struggling with her daughter’s return, while Crowley plays Áine’s father Seamus.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
2 Jan. 2026
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The year 2025 saw high levels of deadly violence around the world, as conflicts grew less restrained, with civilians increasingly victims of attacks by governments and non-state actors alike, according to monitoring data.—
Susannah George,
Washington Post,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The lightweight fabric is also quiet, so you won’t be awoken from crinkling material.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The family settled in a quiet residential street of older homes and multifamily buildings, some front porches festooned with pride flags still twinkling with holiday lights.—
Michael Biesecker,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Adelman has been reticent to use DaRon Holmes II at the NBA level — the Nuggets established a developmental plan for him primarily focused on the G League before the season — but Holmes did appear alongside Zeke Nnaji to start the fourth quarter of Monday’s game in Miami.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Dec. 2025
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As such, many are reticent to spend on nonessentials.—
Aaron Gregg,
Arkansas Online,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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