1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
he remained closemouthed about their activities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
encourage the closemouthed children to speak up and not be shy
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Recent Examples of closemouthed
There’s also the closemouthed, menacing technician who lives on a houseboat and raises snakes; the actress first hired for the show’s leading part who dropped out of the role before shooting began; and the unknown burglar who fled the frightened player’s house.
—
Tom Nolan, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.
—Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2021
Ever since the couple pulled up stakes and moved away from the United Kingdom in March, their new spokespeople have been even more closemouthed.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2020
By and large, this is a secretive, closemouthed group of individuals who want nothing more than to say little and share even less.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 July 2018
Led by Vice President Temer, whose cryptic, closemouthed demeanor has his rivals comparing him to a butler in a horror movie, the centrists anchoring Ms. Rousseff’s coalition broke away last week.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2016
Tom Nolan, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.
—Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2021
Ever since the couple pulled up stakes and moved away from the United Kingdom in March, their new spokespeople have been even more closemouthed.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2020
By and large, this is a secretive, closemouthed group of individuals who want nothing more than to say little and share even less.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 July 2018
Led by Vice President Temer, whose cryptic, closemouthed demeanor has his rivals comparing him to a butler in a horror movie, the centrists anchoring Ms. Rousseff’s coalition broke away last week.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closemouthed
Adjective
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So far, the ESA has been silent on Trump excluding video game consoles from his tariff exemptions.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
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The Taliban are also silent on the other restrictions and whether there is any chance of removing them.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At the start of episode 8, Cara, a reserved 29-year-old In-N-Out worker, had the cash in her box, while her bestie Samantha, a 41-year-old cop pretending to be a stay-at-home mom, had a clue that the secret millionaire was someone with two sisters.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Without trust, teams experience: • Communication Breakdowns: Team members become reserved and hesitant to provide feedback or voice concerns.—
Dr. Jennifer Bryant,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And Amanda Marsalis and April Blair are some of my closest friends now.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
17 Apr. 2025
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The new Charlotte Knights’ manager pitched for four MLB teams from 2010 to 2015, recording 30 saves as the closer for the Chicago White Sox in 2011.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
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Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
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He's investigated the hidden offshore wealth of Russian oligarchs, billions of dollars in assets held offshore by a member of the Adani family and the Adani Group, and the maze of corporate structures and secretive inner circle of crypto giant Binance.—
Giacomo Tognini,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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Trump was notoriously secretive about his health during his first term and did not release any recent medical records as part of his 2024 campaign — even after a July assassination attempt, in which a bullet struck his ear.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Simmons' initial reaction to the insult was a bit more restrained than his typical unfiltered comments.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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This year, the prestigious but far more restrained perpetual calendar was the complication of choice.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Today By Paulina Berges Nestled within Okazaki on a quiet residential road, Shinsho-an feels more like a private home than a hotel.—
Christina Liao,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
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And in a culture that often asks women to go faster, do more, and present themselves perfectly, the act of cooking something small and lovely—just because—is its own quiet form of resistance.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Legend in the making: Kelsie Domer of Dublin On the other end of the competitor spectrum is Kelsie Domer, a breakaway roper who is reticent to make brash predictions, but whose résumé speaks for itself.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2025
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And in the absence of a crisis, Washington’s partners will likely be reticent to join in.—
Stephen G. Brooks,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closemouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closemouthed. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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