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
  • Riley issued a public statement in an effort to quell swirling Butler trade rumors last month, insisting Miami would not move on from its best two-way player this year.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Recent fears about potential payroll disruptions due to budget delays were quelled by Robinson's assurance that a budget will be passed before the 15th, ensuring employees receive their paychecks.
    Eplunus Colvin, arkansasonline.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of quell
Verb
  • There must be severe consequences for the concerted effort to suppress the public’s knowledge of Biden’s cognitive deficits.
    Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Lipton felt the lack of scoring, excitement and substantial press coverage combined to suppress local support.
    Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Officers subdued her, handcuffed her and called fire rescue.
    Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
  • The ceremony, traditionally celebratory, was subdued as protesters gathered outside the Capitol in San Juan.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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 Jan. 2025.

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
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
white rubber duck stands out in a row of yellow ducks
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.