cracked down; cracking down; cracks down
: to take positive regulatory or disciplinary action
Synonyms
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
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
The crackdown on Palestinian-solidarity activists has exposed the limits of the right’s hypocritical crusade for the expansion of speech rights on campus.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for crackdown 
Noun
In the ensuing police crackdown, more than 2,500 have been arrested or detained, according to a New York Times analysis.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
The crackdown on Palestinian-solidarity activists has exposed the limits of the right’s hypocritical crusade for the expansion of speech rights on campus.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for crackdown
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crackdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Crackdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crackdown. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
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