1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
he remained closemouthed about their activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
By and large, this is a secretive, closemouthed group of individuals who want nothing more than to say little and share even less.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 July 2018
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
By and large, this is a secretive, closemouthed group of individuals who want nothing more than to say little and share even less.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 July 2018
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
-
While the Trump administration was silent on the details of the document, a New York Times report described it as merely a list of bullet points, not a full draft, citing four officials familiar with the negotiations.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
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Proenza Schouler leans toward a silent gesture with its mint green terry dress.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
To serve, garnish with the reserved strawberry slices.—
Georgeanne Brennan,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025
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Related Stories John Oliver Compares HBO Max/Max Branding Fiasco to Trump's Renaming the Gulf of Mexico Ardant stars as Nathalie de Beauvillier, the manor’s reserved and eccentric lady, while Dequenne delivers one of her final screen performances as Odile, the spirited cook.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2025
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Numerous outlets have already reported on how close Barca is to landing breakout 2024/2025 La Liga star Joan Garcia from Espanyol, which could complicate Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s future as Hansi Flick’s first choice goalkeeper.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
Image Both companies are secretive about their processes, and have declined most requests to visit their operations.—
Mike Belleme,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Musk’s unorthodox—and often secretive—slash-and-burn tactics often sowed chaos during his tenure in the government.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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The company expects ongoing cautious consumer behavior amid persistent inflation, leading to restrained discretionary spending, especially on high-ticket products.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Wirtz, especially, can look awkward in Julian Nagelsmann’s team, and is used in a comparatively restrained way.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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The drama division had been relatively quiet for a period but suddenly found its stride in the past year with a string of buzzy commissions that will now mostly air under new leadership.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
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The home of about 400 year-round residents, who include fishermen and lobstermen, it’s long been a haven for those seeking peace, quiet and an escape from the heat, a world away from Portland.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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State and local officials were reticent to weigh in on what the mortgage sale could mean for the Fiserv deal.—
Taylor O’Connor,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2025
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Among the three, the Raptors have an accurate but reticent 3-point shooter (Ingram), an average shooter at OK frequency (Barrett) and a bad one (Barnes).—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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