clam up
clam up · clams up · clammed up · clamming up
To become silent; to stop talkingTo become silent; to stop talking.
» He clammed up and let himself die.
Meaning
2 senses(informal, intransitive)To become silent; to stop talking.
schweigen
замолка́тьzamolkátʹ, замолча́тьzamolčátʹ
refuse to talk or stop talking; fall silent
(ambitransitive)To make or become clammy.
Examples
2 sentencesHe clammed up and let himself die.
Every time I think of asking her out, I clam up.
Translations
6 languagesРусский
become silent:
Deutsch
become silent:
Origin
By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”).By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
clams up, clamming up, clammed up, clammed up| Base form | clam up · to clam up |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | clams up |
| Present participle | clamming up |
| Past simple | clammed up |
| Past participle | clammed up |
irregular
Synonyms
8 synonymsAntonyms
1 antonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb