clampdown

1 of 2

noun

clamp·​down ˈklamp-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce clampdown (audio)
: the act or action of making regulations and restrictions more stringent
a clampdown on charge accounts, bank loans, and other inflationary influencesTime

clamp down

2 of 2

verb

clamped down; clamping down; clamps down

intransitive verb

: to impose restrictions : crack down
the police are clamping down on speeders

Examples of clampdown in a Sentence

Verb the need to clamp down on petty crime in the city
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Still, Rightmove property expert Tim Bannister said that the recovery in real estate might not be felt across the board, and warned that a further clampdown on buy-to-let investors could exacerbate existing affordability issues in the rental market. Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024 China's clampdown on the sale of wildlife for human consumption has even affected the snake trade in recent years, amid concerns of another outbreak of zoonotic diseases such as the coronavirus that sparked the pandemic in 2020. Cheng Wong, NBC News, 11 July 2024
Verb
Los Angeles is exploring whether to clamp down on tour buses driving near a home once owned by Marilyn Monroe, under a proposal backed Friday by the City Council. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024 As a result, the council teamed up with the Met on an operation meant to clamp down on anti-social driving—a catch-all phrase that includes everything from street racing to performing stunts to misusing vehicles off-road—during the time of the year when the problem is traditionally at its worst. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clampdown 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clampdown.' 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

1940, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clampdown was in 1938

Dictionary Entries Near clampdown

Cite this Entry

“Clampdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clampdown. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

clamp down

verb
: to act in a strict and forceful manner to stop something
laws clamping down on fraud

More from Merriam-Webster on clampdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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