CLAM UP Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

clam up

verb

Definition of clam up

as in to hush

to stop talking the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room

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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 clam up Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026 Your language model would clam up from time to time to conserve its resources. — Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026 Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs. — Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026 But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up. — Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clam up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up

Verb

Hans Op de Beeck’s first dalliance with a luxury house feels a lot like his art — hushed, contemplative, and slightly under the radar.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
The lounge is a real scene, especially during afternoon tea, when a perfectly coiffed crowd has hushed discussions about worldly matters.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hush

Verb

As those funds began drying up in September 2023, some states started to address these shortfalls on their own.

— Caitlyn Collins, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
Nevertheless, the agency told the company to temporarily shut down some of its nearby injection wells, and, according to Faulkner, the purge on his land dried up for the first time in years.

— Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of dry up

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clams up

clam up

clan

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“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of clam up

verb

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