clam up

verb

clammed up; clamming up; clams up
Synonyms of clam upnext

intransitive verb

: to become silent
clammed up and refused to talk

Synonyms of clam up

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Examples of clam up in a Sentence

the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Your language model would clam up from time to time to conserve its resources. — Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026 On Israel, a lot of candidates have clammed up. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up. — Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026 Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clam up

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clam up was in 1916

Rhymes for clam up

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Browse Nearby Words

clamshell
clam up
clam worm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clam%20up. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

clam up

verb
: to become silent
they clammed up when asked for more information

More from Merriam-Webster on clam up

Nglish: Translation of clam up for Spanish Speakers

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