crackdown

1 of 2

noun

crack·​down ˈkrak-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce crackdown (audio)
: 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

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
Officials have attributed the massive drop to a crackdown on asylum by President Biden, scorching summer temperatures and efforts by Mexico to stop migrants. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 2 Aug. 2024 Related: What does America’s crackdown on Chinese firms mean for the U.S. biotech sector? Radoje Drmanac, STAT, 31 July 2024
Verb
Columbia cracked down on the protesters just weeks after school leaders testified before Congress on the school's handling of allegations of antisemitism. Ivana Saric, Axios, 1 Aug. 2024 Further, the Chinese government has been increasingly cracking down on developers’ reckless borrowing habits. Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 1 Aug. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crackdown was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near crackdown

crackbrain

crackdown

crack down

Cite this Entry

“Crackdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crackdown. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

crack down

verb
ˈkrak-ˈdau̇n
: to take strong action especially to control or put down
crack down on crime
crackdown
-ˌdau̇n
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crackdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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