as in mute
unable to speak because you are nervous or shy
She became tongue-tied whenever he was around. He gets tongue-tied in front of crowds.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-tied
Adjective
-
The older two initially resist their parents’ appeals to immerse themselves in nature, but the youngest, who is mute, explores the area and finds a magical tree inhabited by a group of extraordinary characters.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
2 Apr. 2026 -
Ironically, clicking the mute control that sits atop the Light Mount's volume knob is notably louder than the rest of the buttons on the keyboard.—
Aubrey Jowers,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
Adjective
-
Chloe’s arrival felt almost incomprehensible to a couple who once believed parenthood was out of reach.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The permanent layoff of approximately 300 workers at the Searles Valley Minerals Trona plant will have an incomprehensible impact on our High Desert communities.—
Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Recent years have been boom times for language that is inarticulate on purpose.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
-
There are a few inarticulate screams and sobs but no dialogue, no lyrics, no spoken intro, no utterances at all.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That seems to be the tonally incoherent concept behind Rupert Goold’s new screen-to-stage production, an appalling near-disaster that opened at the August Wilson Theatre March 30.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Callahan said Robbins was too incoherent to play.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Both sides are silent right now, but a release from the WGA and the AMPTP is expected soon(ish).—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But the most impactful force on the court could be the silent, invisible sixth man – the mind gym.—
Haley Sawyer,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Tongue-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-tied. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
