Antonyms for clam up


Grammar : Verb
Spell : klam
Phonetic Transcription : klæm


Definition of clam up

Origin :
  • bivalve mollusk, c.1500, in clam-shell, originally Scottish, apparently a particular use from Middle English clam "pincers, vice, clamp" (late 14c.), from Old English clamm "bond, fetter, grip, grasp," from Proto-Germanic *klam- "to press or squeeze together" (cf. Old High German klamma "cramp, fetter, constriction," German Klamm "a constriction"). If this is right then the original reference is to the shell. Clam-chowder attested from 1822. To be happy as a clam is from 1833, but the earliest uses do not elaborate on the notion behind it, unless it be self-containment.
  • As in quiet : verb make silent, calm
  • As in silence : verb make or be quiet
  • As in stifle : verb prevent, restrain
  • As in withhold : verb keep back
  • As in : verb keep silent
  • As in quieten : verb silence
  • As in shush : verb silence
Example sentences :
  • A little general chitchat once in a while, then she'd clam up to do a little mental orbit figuring.
  • Extract from : « A Spaceship Named McGuire » by Gordon Randall Garrett

Synonyms for clam up

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019