clam up
(also shut up like a clam) informal — phrasal verb with clam /klæm/ verb (-mm-)Definition
› to become silent suddenly, usually because you are embarrassed or nervous, or do not want to talk about a particular subject: He just clams up if you ask him about his childhood.Falling silent and not speaking
(Definition of clam up from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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Synonyms and related words:
- be lost for words idiom
- bite sth back phrasal verb
- bite your tongue idiom
- draw a veil over sth idiom
- dumbly adverb
- gob noun
- have nothing to say for yourself idiom
- hold your tongue idiom
- keep your mouth shut idiom
- keep yourself to yourself phrasal verb
- let sth rest idiom
- not be on speaking terms idiom
- pipe down phrasal verb
- save your breath idiom
- silence is golden idiom
- silent adjective (NO SPEAKING)
- speechless adjective
- tight-lipped adjective
- unsaid adjective
- you could have heard a pin drop idiom
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