crackdown

1 of 2

noun

crack·​down ˈkrak-ˌdau̇n 

: an act or instance of cracking down

crack down

2 of 2

verb

cracked down; cracking down; cracks down

intransitive verb

: to take positive regulatory or disciplinary action

Synonyms

Verb

• clamp down (on)
• crush
• put down
• quash
• quell
• repress
• silence
• slap down
• snuff (out)
• squash
• squelch
• subdue
• suppress

Examples of crackdown in a Sentence

Noun

Companies that pollute are the target of a new crackdown.

Verb

a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Panamanian authorities report a 40% decrease in crossings this year, following crackdowns on migration routes under Mulino's administration. —Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024

Hong Kong has struggled to attract tourists in their previous numbers after three years of pandemic border restrictions and a crackdown on dissent following 2019 antigovernment protests tarnished the city’s international image. —Kim Gu, NBC News, 24 Dec. 2024

Verb

And those donations paid off: The company and others in the private prison industry saw their stock prices soar after Trump’s election, given his plan to crack down on unlawful immigration. —Alison Durkee, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Plenty of drug dealers are US citizens, and San Francisco has been touting its broader efforts to crack down on them, too. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1939, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

crack down

verb

ˈkrak-ˈdau̇n

: to take strong action especially to control or put down

crack down on crime

crackdown

-ˌdau̇n

noun