tongue-tied

adjective

Definition of tongue-tiednext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tongue-tied My two companions—one of whom was Alabaster—seemed a bit tongue-tied. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026 But on April 24, Stanford got tongue-tied when asked to explain her position on abolishing ICE. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026 At times, Raman was tongue-tied trying to answer simple questions. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-tied
  1. mute
  2. speechless
  3. incomprehensible
  4. inarticulate
  5. incoherent
  6. silent
Adjective
  • Fauci sat mute as Johnson described adverse health effects from COVID-19 vaccines and the efficacy of ivermectin to treat the virus.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • The microphone boom has a mute LED and can rotate through 270 degrees, enabling the headset to be worn with the microphone boom arm on the left or the right side.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of mute
Adjective
  • His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of speechless
Adjective
  • Here are three stars that appear neatly connected overhead, but in reality, one is separated by an incomprehensible distance.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 24 July 2026
  • By that point, almost five minutes down on yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar, the Tour may already have been done — save for an incomprehensible effort over Alpe d’Huez, or misfortune to Pogacar himself.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of incomprehensible
Adjective
  • Just as between them William James and Michael Oakeshott told us that there is no such thing as unmediated experience, so, surely, there is no such thing as inarticulate thought.
    — Richard Lansdown, The New York Review of Books, 25 June 2026
  • Simpson, butched up and closed off and vibrating with inarticulate pain, is superb in the part, and Jimenez’s rigid shoulders and frozen face are wrenching.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Definition of inarticulate
Adjective
  • England have a great coach and positive momentum after their knockout victories over DR Congo and Mexico, but in both matches, their front press looked incoherent and inconsistent.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 10 July 2026
  • Their complaints have been mostly incoherent and illogical, with UEFA's statement in particular being laughably inaccurate.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of incoherent
Adjective
  • Physicians, despite their leverage, often remain silent due to cultural pressures.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • David May was the joker in the team; Paul Scholes was the silent assassin, sat there at the back, throwing comments.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of silent

Browse Nearby Words

tongues
tongue-tied
tonic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tongue-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-tied. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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