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
-
For the next hour, pages turned until silent reading time made way for more conversation.—
Sneha Dhandapani,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
Many people wait until ideas feel perfectly polished before contributing, which often leads them to remain silent too long.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Liam is slightly more reserved and is the lethal, heavy finisher.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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Fetterman's criticism of Platner marks a break from other Senate Democrats, who have been more reserved on the issue.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
But these suites are also closest to the elevators, and the historic walls don’t adequately muffle the sounds of other guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
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Gertrud would keep the girls close, one on either side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the truly dangerous frontier is the American high school, where girls are willing to play dumb and give up their secrets, friends, privacy and virginity to fit in and find love.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
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There were those dumb America's Care Packages that bestowed special powers to popular players to give them unfair advantages.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The report, based on in-depth interviews with single-family office principals and CIOs across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, captures a generational cold war playing out inside the world’s most secretive financial institutions.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
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In 2012, a political action committee funded by billionaire brothers from Kansas, Charles and David Koch, backed a secretive campaign to remove Lewis and two other justices from the court via a merit retention vote.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a court issues a domestic violence protective order, federal law prohibits the restrained person from possessing a gun.—
Sativa Banks,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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Though America’s founders, of course, did not always live up to these ideals themselves, this early reform shows us that American justice was meant to be resolute, principled, and restrained.—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is quiet luxury in hotel form.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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The concierge takes responsibility for all the aspects of cross-selling that customer-facing staff may be reticent to undertake, such as conversion tracking and knowing all the key internal contacts.—
Marty Dauer,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Where the two artists differ is how Avedon imprinted his specific style on his art, while Howard is more reticent to do so.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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