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to clam up
[phrase form: clam]
01
to suddenly become silent or refuse to talk, often because of nervousness, fear, or a desire to keep information secret
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Inseparable
Particle
up
Base verb
clam
Present tense
clam up
3rd person singular
clams up
Present participle
clamming up
Past simple
clammed up
Past participle
clammed up
Examples
Every time the teacher asked him about his weekend, he would clam up and avoid eye contact.
