as in mute
unable to speak because you are nervous or shy
She became tongue-tied whenever he was around. He gets tongue-tied in front of crowds.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-tied
Adjective
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Features like undo/redo, mute/unmute, scrolling, and taking screenshots are instantly accessible, significantly speeding up the workflow.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025 -
That mute minute in an otherwise ever-bobbing, ever-shouting crowd (a portion of which camped outside the Spectrum Center) was a testament to Eilish’s ability to hold her own on a stage that — other than the occasional burst of fire and blitzing lights — had little frill.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
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Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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The wealth at the top is incomprehensible — orders of magnitude beyond the numbers most of us glean from our own bank statements.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Elder millennial parents who may have trouble understanding what their kids are talking about will likely laugh along to how the comedians portray teens’ reliance on seemingly incomprehensible slang terms to communicate with each other.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Like Muscle Man, Mixtape follows a self-important, inarticulate mediocrity on the fringe of a minor American metropolis.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
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Hank’s friends – conspiracy theorist Dale, military barber Bill, and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer, along with Peggy’s friends Minh and meteorologist Nancy, and Bobby’s friend Connie helped the Hills navigate a changing world.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Without this cognitive translation, day-to-day stressors may dictate overall sense of well-being, or the mix and shifts between positive and negative parts of parenting may make life seem overall incoherent for these fathers.—
Anthony Vaccaro,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
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Most modern corporations are doing exactly that — constantly performing new, incoherent rituals.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But New Delhi remained notably silent on the subject of domestic repression.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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The room was silent, save for the heavy, mechanized breathing of the huge man in black armor standing to one side of the throne dais.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-tied. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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