as in to hush
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of clam up
Although regulations may usher in more urgency for sustainable action, the laws rolling out around transparent claims could lead to companies clamming up about their initiatives to avoid potential greenwashing penalties.
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Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
Judges struggle to name favorite cheese Ask a judge to pick their favorite and most will clam up, dodge the question or offer a long, unranked list.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
One social worker said that a girl clammed up in a recent interview that her mother was invited to.
—Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
City clams up over chance of lawsuit Antoine Bryant, director of planning and development, apologized to City Council members for soliciting the contract to pay for the murals using city money without the nine-member body's approval, which is required.
—Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024
With less contact between the user's hand and the electronics, plus more airflow, users may find their hands clamming up less easily during long hours of intense use.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 2 Feb. 2023
Jim Harbaugh will coach not to lose and clam up just enough to let Ohio State’s amazing skill talent pull the upset late.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023
When pandemic lockdowns clammed up her restaurant clientele, Ms. Brown began selling her oysters from her flatbed truck near her farm in Little Bay, New Hampshire.
—Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
Judges struggle to name favorite cheese Ask a judge to pick their favorite and most will clam up, dodge the question or offer a long, unranked list.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
One social worker said that a girl clammed up in a recent interview that her mother was invited to.
—Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
City clams up over chance of lawsuit Antoine Bryant, director of planning and development, apologized to City Council members for soliciting the contract to pay for the murals using city money without the nine-member body's approval, which is required.
—Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024
With less contact between the user's hand and the electronics, plus more airflow, users may find their hands clamming up less easily during long hours of intense use.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 2 Feb. 2023
Jim Harbaugh will coach not to lose and clam up just enough to let Ohio State’s amazing skill talent pull the upset late.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023
When pandemic lockdowns clammed up her restaurant clientele, Ms. Brown began selling her oysters from her flatbed truck near her farm in Little Bay, New Hampshire.
—Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
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Giddy with excitement over the end of season win, Biles posted a video of her and her friend after the game attempting to celebrate quietly while hushing and grinning ear to ear.Rachel Flynn, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Squabbling coaches — Tindall had put his fingers to his lips to hush Unai Emery after Duran’s departure, earning invective in response — added to the sense of renaissance.George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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When the summer dry season begins, all of that grass and brush dries up.Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2025
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Marketing blames sales for not closing leads, sales blames marketing for poor quality leads, and accounts blames everyone when the cash flow dries up.B.D. Dalton, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In other words, Anti-SLAPP laws prevent bad people from misusing the courts to shut up others who have done nothing more than lawfully express themselves.Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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But the film cranks it to 10 when the actors shut up and the Crums focus on a warped visual vocabulary: analog video, gruesome special effects, taunting puppets and, most especially, Daryll Arellano’s skin-pinching sound.Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near clam up
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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