clam up
"clam-up" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“clam up” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To become silent; to stop talking.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | clam up |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “clam up” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
clam up is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
clam up doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”). The correct English form is clam up, spelled C-L-A-M- -U-P.
Definition
- 1To become silent; to stop talking.
- 2To make or become clammy.
Etymology
By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”).
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “clam up”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-L-A-M- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.