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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
Example
During the interrogation, the suspect suddenly clam up and refused to answer any more questions.
Every time the teacher asked him about his weekend, he would clam up and avoid eye contact.
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.
