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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
-
The Bombers’ offense was silent without its Captain as Aaron Judge received his first off night of the season before the Yanks head to Fenway Park on Friday for a three-game set with the Red Sox.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
-
But, in many ways, Chryseis—in spite of the apparent privileging of her name and her identity as a priest’s daughter that makes its way into the later stories about her—is the more silent, the more difficult to bring back to life, of the two.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
To serve, garnish with the reserved strawberry slices.—
Georgeanne Brennan,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025
-
Related Stories John Oliver Compares HBO Max/Max Branding Fiasco to Trump's Renaming the Gulf of Mexico Ardant stars as Nathalie de Beauvillier, the manor’s reserved and eccentric lady, while Dequenne delivers one of her final screen performances as Odile, the spirited cook.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some of the women became her close friends, and one became a longtime girlfriend.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
Or, that their connection through her stepdad was not close enough to matter.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
16 June 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
-
Two security officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss the highly secretive missions.—
Shane Croucher
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
After he was elected, following two days of secretive deliberation, the memes came swiftly.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
The company expects ongoing cautious consumer behavior amid persistent inflation, leading to restrained discretionary spending, especially on high-ticket products.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
Wirtz, especially, can look awkward in Julian Nagelsmann’s team, and is used in a comparatively restrained way.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
For those looking to venture farther, Cruz Bay’s private itineraries stretch deep into the BVI, blending gourmet dining, reef diving, and quiet anchorages into one seamless luxurious adventure.—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
Ideally, your room is dark, quiet and cool — think between 65 and 75 degrees.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
State and local officials were reticent to weigh in on what the mortgage sale could mean for the Fiserv deal.—
Taylor O’Connor,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2025
-
Among the three, the Raptors have an accurate but reticent 3-point shooter (Ingram), an average shooter at OK frequency (Barrett) and a bad one (Barnes).—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share