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 September 3, 2026) - To become silent; to stop talking.
Corpus desk
Index EN-clam-up · clam up · English
clam up · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | clam up |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “clam up” in English
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.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how clam up appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Maybe he … or she … was a witness who refused to clam up … a whistle blower …
Teenagers' father. Alright, Matt, I think you've made your point. Matt Foley: Dad, I sincerely wish you'd do everyone a great service, and clam up!
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.