CRACK DOWN Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

crack down (on)

verb

Definition of crack down (on)

as in to quell

to put a stop to (something) by the use of force a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack down (on)

Verb

Therefore, ambient devices do have some positive benefits and have helped quell many practical issues.

— Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Flock’s new privacy reforms do little to quell outrage among vandals targeting its traffic surveillance cameras.

— Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of quell

Verb

That combination, just like QIH, suppressed neuronal firing and stripped out a comparable share of synapses, but the mice came out of it with impaired fear memory.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2026
Factors that put people at a higher risk of severe infection include being older than 60, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and being on immune system suppressing medication.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

The drones rip through the hallways scanning for a threat before disorienting a suspect using flashing lights and subduing them using pepper balls or by ramming into their body, the company says.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
The event reveals the cooperative hunting strategies of orcas, where multiple individuals work together to isolate and subdue large prey.

— Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of subdue

Verb

The Penn State campus happens to sit on a karst formation, where water has slowly altered limestone bedrock, potentially creating a variety of weak spots.

— John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
The two military members were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles, while the civilian reporters were ordered to sit on a curb.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of sit on

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crackbrains

crack down (on)

cracked

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“Crack down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of crack down (on)

verb

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