as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
a buttoned-up colleague who had no interest in talking about anything but work, even at parties
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Recent Examples of buttoned-up
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
Compared with Sanchez’s getup, the buttoned-up Adam Lippes coat and wide-brimmed Eric Javits hat worn by Melania Trump to the Inauguration were tasteful, even demure.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
Use it as a layering piece or wear it buttoned-up on its own.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2024
The Bottom Line The era of buttoned-up, corporate talk is over.
—Lindsey Groepper, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Based on Nick Payne’s screenplay, the nonlinear love story follows the buttoned-up Tobias (Garfield) and the spunky Almut (Florence Pugh) over the course of a decade-long relationship that is, suffice it to say, filled with both high highs and extremely low lows.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2024
The button-down shirt Pop the collar, roll up the sleeves, wear it loose or completely buttoned-up—a relaxed button-down shirt is an easygoing layer that adds instant polish to jeans and sequin skirts.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Aug. 2024
Lawyer shows are usually buttoned-up and serious, but this show was as focused on office gossip and the characters' personal lives as the details of their legal cases.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 July 2024
In Funny Story, buttoned-up Daphne loves her relationship with her fiancé Peter.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024
Adjective
Some are more buttoned-up, kind of a federal style.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
Compared with Sanchez’s getup, the buttoned-up Adam Lippes coat and wide-brimmed Eric Javits hat worn by Melania Trump to the Inauguration were tasteful, even demure.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
Use it as a layering piece or wear it buttoned-up on its own.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2024
The Bottom Line The era of buttoned-up, corporate talk is over.
—Lindsey Groepper, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Based on Nick Payne’s screenplay, the nonlinear love story follows the buttoned-up Tobias (Garfield) and the spunky Almut (Florence Pugh) over the course of a decade-long relationship that is, suffice it to say, filled with both high highs and extremely low lows.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2024
The button-down shirt Pop the collar, roll up the sleeves, wear it loose or completely buttoned-up—a relaxed button-down shirt is an easygoing layer that adds instant polish to jeans and sequin skirts.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Aug. 2024
Lawyer shows are usually buttoned-up and serious, but this show was as focused on office gossip and the characters' personal lives as the details of their legal cases.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 July 2024
In Funny Story, buttoned-up Daphne loves her relationship with her fiancé Peter.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttoned-up
Adjective
-
One adult who lives in the detached garage and six adults and three cats who live in an adjacent home were displaced by the fire, according to the post.—
Graeme Taskerud,
The Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2025
-
These parents fulfill their child’s basic needs—food, shelter and clothing—but remain emotionally detached and disengaged.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Shaw’s prophecy was light years distant from Uncle Jerry’s reality.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
-
In Oscar-winning writer/director Bong Joon Ho’s new movie, Mickey Barnes (Pattinson) is an Earth man who signs up for a colonizing expedition to a distant icy planet and volunteers for a job that puts him in deadly situations constantly.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But as the lingerie giant negotiates around a more cautious consumer, colder weather and tariff uncertainty out of the Trump White House, Hillary Super’s longer-term plans are coming into focus.—
Evan Clark,
WWD,
6 Mar. 2025
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In cold weather, the fluid circulating through the geothermal system’s underground plastic pipes absorbs the relatively warm temperature of the earth and brings it back to home heat pumps, which concentrate the heat and send it into homes.—
Nara Schoenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
California cool Mother denim has collaborated with JJ Martin’s La Double J fashion brand on a capsule collection debuting Thursday.—
Booth Moore,
WWD,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Heading into Sunday, March 9, cool and breezy weather is expected.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Every Wednesday night, Erika Hernandez's home has an open door—and a reserved seat—for her late son's best friend.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Members of the State Department's diplomatic corps have a reserved section.—
Javier Zarracina,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to buttoned-up
Cite this Entry
“Buttoned-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttoned-up. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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