as in hushed
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
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Recent Examples of clammed up
The atmosphere had changed—security kept an eye out for media to turn away at the entrance, and golfers clammed up when asked what was going on at the club.
—
Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up.
—Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 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
Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up.
—Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clammed 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
-
The fossils were first discovered by a local resident in 2016 and initial excavation happened between then and 2019, but then funding dried up.—
James Doubek,
NPR,
14 May 2026
-
Research money to study the only hantavirus transmitted from person to person — the same strain that broke out on the cruise ship — dried up.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 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
“Clammed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clammed%20up. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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