1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
he remained closemouthed about their activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
encourage the closemouthed children to speak up and not be shy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of closemouthed
There’s also the closemouthed, menacing technician who lives on a houseboat and raises snakes; the actress first hired for the show’s leading part who dropped out of the role before shooting began; and the unknown burglar who fled the frightened player’s house.
—
Tom Nolan, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.
—Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2021
Ever since the couple pulled up stakes and moved away from the United Kingdom in March, their new spokespeople have been even more closemouthed.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2020
By and large, this is a secretive, closemouthed group of individuals who want nothing more than to say little and share even less.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 July 2018
Led by Vice President Temer, whose cryptic, closemouthed demeanor has his rivals comparing him to a butler in a horror movie, the centrists anchoring Ms. Rousseff’s coalition broke away last week.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2016
Tom Nolan, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.
—Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2021
Ever since the couple pulled up stakes and moved away from the United Kingdom in March, their new spokespeople have been even more closemouthed.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2020
By and large, this is a secretive, closemouthed group of individuals who want nothing more than to say little and share even less.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 July 2018
Led by Vice President Temer, whose cryptic, closemouthed demeanor has his rivals comparing him to a butler in a horror movie, the centrists anchoring Ms. Rousseff’s coalition broke away last week.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closemouthed
Adjective
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Humberto pressures him to keep silent but doing so would mean betraying his communitarian principles.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2025
-
The library of Cohen Media Group’s founder, Charles S. Cohen, comprises more than one hundred restored classic titles spanning from the silent era to the present day, including The Buster Keaton Collection and The Merchant Ivory Collection.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Tickets are $20 for reserved seating, $20 for general admission, $15 for students.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2025
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Should a third violation happen, the consequences become much steeper—a €45,000 fine (€180,000 in F1) and a six-month suspension from the reserved areas.—
Yara Elshebiny,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
That seems like the closest analogue to what DOGE was supposed to be.—
Nathaniel Rakich,
ABC News,
4 Feb. 2025
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Last week, Trump celebrated the confirmation of an Interior secretary, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who has such a close relationship with fossil fuel companies that oil and gas billionaire Harold Hamm once gifted him a set of cuff links to thank him for his friendship.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
This is followed by a full moon in Leo on Feb. 12, shaking up your secretive 12th house of healing, privacy and unconscious patterns.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
1 Feb. 2025
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The National Nuclear Security Administration, the civilian agency maintaining America's nuclear stockpile, allowed journalists, including NPR, to tour a secretive laboratory.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This improvement to sound also makes the restrained snarl of Naked Snake’s voice have an even better bite.—
Ashley Bardhan,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2025
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Angel Garcia / Bloomberg via Getty Images Though Trudeau has already announced retaliatory Canadian tariffs on a variety of American goods, China has been more restrained.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC News,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The trade deadline was a non-starter, and the summer was curiously quiet.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2025
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Going back about six weeks, Manchester City were planning for a quiet January in terms of transfers.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This simple act of writing down your thoughts, which is often easier for the emotionally reticent, is an easy way to do it.—
Jim VandeHei,
Axios,
9 Jan. 2025
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Behind them, the forest rose up, dense and inscrutable, reticent to divulge its life.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near closemouthed
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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