clam up
Third Person
clams up
Present Participle
clamming up
Past Tense
clammed up
Past Participle
clammed up
1
to suddenly become silent or refuse to talk, often because of nervousness, fear, or a desire to keep information secret
- Every time the teacher asked him about his weekend, he would clam up and avoid eye contact.
- During the interrogation, the suspect suddenly clam up and refused to answer any more questions.
- When discussing her personal life, Sarah tends to clam up and change the subject.
- The shy teenager would clam up in social situations, making it difficult for others to get to know him.
- As soon as the topic of her recent project came up, Emily clam up and didn't want to reveal any details.
Antonyms: