clam up

verb

Definition of clam upnext
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

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 clam up Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026 Your language model would clam up from time to time to conserve its resources. — Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026 Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs. — Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026 But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up. — Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clam up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
  1. hush
  2. dry up
  3. shut up
Verb
  • Nelson remembers hushing her foster children back to sleep that night and calling 911, anxious for an end to those sleepless nights.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Salesforce has clearly hushed the skeptics on Wednesday night.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hush
Verb
  • That would eventually dry up, and Beach found himself in Hollywood, pairing with his brother.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Iran has endured decades of harsh sanctions and has recently faced a full US Navy blockade of its ports that has dried up oil exports.
    — Yash Roy, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of dry up
Verb
  • Commentators hungry for superstar validation of their culture war were calling her silence a moral failure, and some of them were the same people who, in previous news cycles, had insisted that athletes needed to shut up.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ferragosto on August 15 is when all Italians down tools, shut up shop, and head for the coast.
    — Catherine Fairweather, Air Mail, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of shut up

Browse Nearby Words

clams up
clam up
clan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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