as in to hush
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
The client is bound to clam up.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The 2025-26 campaign and postseason — the Bears are two wins away from next month’s Super Bowl LX after winning the division and beating the Packers twice — so far has made their snarky detractors clam up.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
The famously outgoing media personality clammed up, on air and off, thanks to a terrifying stranger.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025
But in Nogent, a town of around 4,000, most residents clam up at the mention of her name today.
—Hannah Goeke, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2025
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
The client is bound to clam up.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The 2025-26 campaign and postseason — the Bears are two wins away from next month’s Super Bowl LX after winning the division and beating the Packers twice — so far has made their snarky detractors clam up.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
The famously outgoing media personality clammed up, on air and off, thanks to a terrifying stranger.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025
But in Nogent, a town of around 4,000, most residents clam up at the mention of her name today.
—Hannah Goeke, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
-
Tima said the event opened up the eyes of many attendees about domestic violence, a conversation that is typically hushed in Caribbean households.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
-
Maggie saw couples pointing, whispering hushed opinions to each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
For Nederland Middle Boulder Creek has never dried up, but with climate concern and unprecedented snowpack issues coming out of the winter there is a potential to consider.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
These hospitals serve large Medi-Cal populations, so when reimbursements dry up, the revenues that keep them open do too.—
Monica Montgomery Steppe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The core Mom skills — listening, caring, advising; maybe a little nagging, maybe shutting up — never go away.—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
Even when the houselights dim mid-overture some of them still don’t shut up.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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