crack down (on)

verb

Definition of crack down (on)next
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack down (on)
  1. quell
  2. suppress
  3. subdue
Verb
  • In June 2020, Willis demanded that Trump stop using Village People's music after the then-president threatened military action to quell protests following the police killing of George Floyd.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
  • And in case anyone thinks its suppressions are the stuff of the past, the emergence of far-right leaders around the Western world in the past few years quickly quells the fantasy.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of quell
Verb
  • The goal is not to try to intentionally suppress or react to negative thoughts and feelings.
    Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 2 Dec. 2024
  • Syria’s civil war began during the 2011 Arab Spring as the regime suppressed a pro-democracy uprising against Assad.
    Eyad Kourdi, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • The price of iron ore, which is Rio’s single largest product, accounting for two-thirds of Rio Tinto’s revenue, has remained subdued in 2024, though showing some improvement in the recent months.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
  • Several said they were alarmed by him and some were thankful when Penny subdued him.
    Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
Definition of subdue
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near crack down (on)

crackbrains

crack down (on)

cracked

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Crack down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

More Words with Remarkable Origins

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
confused man standing between two doors
One Word or Two? Take the Quiz! Some words just need a little space.