as in mute
unable to speak because you are nervous or shy
She became tongue-tied whenever he was around. He gets tongue-tied in front of crowds.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-tied
Adjective
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Please check back again soon for the recorded video. LIVE VIDEO TO BEGIN AFTER AD Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
18 July 2025 -
But [the character, who is mute] doesn't have to talk!—
Jordan Hoffman Updated,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
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Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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And as the discourse around it keeps stacking up, what started as a silly turn of phrase has devolved into an incomprehensible mess that’s preventing people from noticing the much more insidious shift around them.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 July 2025
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This is because for the first Daemon X Machina, the story was an incomprehensible mess.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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As pompous actor Garry, Nehal Joshi aces the tough task of making his character’s halting, inarticulate speech sound authentic.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
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My hands move around everywhere, my rhythm is very fast and inarticulate and often a bit wishy-washy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 July 2024
Adjective
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And that a looser, messier, even seemingly incoherent set of choices with respect to point of view comes closer to the experience of consciousness, etc., something, something, non-Western narrative traditions, whatever, OK.—
Book Marks
July 17,
Literary Hub,
17 July 2025
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And the inevitable comparison doesn’t favor Bad Boy, whose often engaging but disjointed, tonally incoherent take on juvenile detention falls short of its focused and insightful predecessor.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Our tester noted that the sleep mode is almost completely silent, which is useful if your kid or their roommate is a light sleeper.—
Cheryl Fenton,
Parents,
19 July 2025
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The rest of the Royals’ lineup remained silent as the Marlins earned a series victory with a 3-1 win at LoanDepot Park.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-tied. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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