cracked down; cracking down; cracks down
: to take positive regulatory or disciplinary action
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
ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
The suspension is the latest escalation in President Kais Saied’s widening crackdown on civil society, which has increasingly criminalized journalism, activism and political opposition.
—Ghaya Ben Mbarek, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Other candidates’ stances on kratom Efforts are underway at the federal level to crack down on 7-OH as health authorities scramble to better understand the highly addictive compound’s effects.
—Matthew Kelly
may 1, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
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Noun
At the peak of the crackdown, thousands were being arrested every week.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
The suspension is the latest escalation in President Kais Saied’s widening crackdown on civil society, which has increasingly criminalized journalism, activism and political opposition.
—Ghaya Ben Mbarek, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Now some Chicago suburbs are cracking down on where and how they can be used.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Other candidates’ stances on kratom Efforts are underway at the federal level to crack down on 7-OH as health authorities scramble to better understand the highly addictive compound’s effects.
—Matthew Kelly
may 1, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
Cite this Entry
“Crackdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crackdown. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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