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

But Wall Street is wagering that Trump’s tough talk is a bluff ahead of a more limited crackdown that won’t uproot the restaurant industry’s immigrant-heavy workforce. —Waylon Cunningham, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Li Tie, 47, who played for the English Premier League Everton alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, is the biggest name to fall foul of a sweeping crackdown on rampant graft in China’s professional soccer league. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024

Verb

The move followed increasing governmental measures cracking down on the app due to its Chinese ties, with Biden signing a law banning the app from government devices in 2022, even as the president’s campaign has continued using the app. —Alison Durkee, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

The crisis diminished earlier this spring following a executive order from President Joe Biden that cracked down on border crossings. —Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 1 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