clamp·down
ˈklamp-ˌdau̇n 
: the act or action of making regulations and restrictions more stringent
a clampdown on charge accounts, bank loans, and other inflationary influences—
Time
Time
clamped down; clamping down; clamps down
: to impose restrictions : crack down
the police are clamping down on speeders
Synonyms
Examples of clampdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebEliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
The Israeli clampdown on the West Bank since Oct. 7 has meant hundreds of UNRWA employees can’t reach their posts at all, according to Abu Taqa.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The share of immigrants in construction has only recently started to rebound after years of fewer immigrants joining the industry due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on travel and border crossings and the Trump administration’s clampdown on immigration.
—Tami Luhby, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
As part of Putin's clampdown on dissent, authorities in Russia have in recent years adopted a slew of laws restricting human rights, including freedom of speech and assembly, as well as the rights of minorities and religious groups.
—Kim Hjelmgaard and Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
The threat of a new DOJ clampdown is hardly the only menace Boeing is facing.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Since transitioning from British rule in 1997, this special administrative region of China has struggled to retain its reputation as a global hub for business amid a clampdown on dissent.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
Gaming operators in Macau—the only place in Greater China where casino gambling is legal—are still recovering from Beijing’s clampdown on VIP junkets, which until four years ago contributed roughly half of Macau’s total gaming revenue.
—John Kang, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
But the judgment will disappoint many in Kashmir, including the region’s main pro-India Kashmiri politicians who had petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the deeply unpopular decision, which was imposed under an unprecedented security and communication clampdown that lasted many months.
—Aijaz Hussain, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2023
David Biller, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
China’s massive real estate sector fell into trouble after the government clamped down on excessive borrowing by developers in 2020 in an attempt to cool the property bubble.
—Diksha Madhok, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
After the invasion, the Kremlin clamped down severely on Russian society.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Apr. 2024
Even now, after the city has clamped down on the free-for-all, with a new show of force by the Los Angeles Police Department and some modest cleanup efforts since the end of February, a few artists are still getting onsite and leaving more graffiti on the buildings.
—Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
Both have been moving to lower interest rates after rapidly raising them to clamp down on inflation.
—Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The working group was one of the main outcomes of that sitdown, and it was quickly followed by the U.S. lifting sanctions on a Chinese government forensics laboratory in return for Beijing’s promise to clamp down on the fentanyl trade.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024
The Biden administration has sought to clamp down on the practice, but a federal appeals court rejected a new regulation to restrict their use in November.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2024
With Draymond Green having fouled out in the last three minutes, Golden State clamped down on Wembanyama (27 points, 14 rebounds).
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
The Putin regime’s ferocious clampdown on dissent reveals weakness, not strength.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
The Israeli clampdown on the West Bank since Oct. 7 has meant hundreds of UNRWA employees can’t reach their posts at all, according to Abu Taqa.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The share of immigrants in construction has only recently started to rebound after years of fewer immigrants joining the industry due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on travel and border crossings and the Trump administration’s clampdown on immigration.
—Tami Luhby, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
As part of Putin's clampdown on dissent, authorities in Russia have in recent years adopted a slew of laws restricting human rights, including freedom of speech and assembly, as well as the rights of minorities and religious groups.
—Kim Hjelmgaard and Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
The threat of a new DOJ clampdown is hardly the only menace Boeing is facing.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Since transitioning from British rule in 1997, this special administrative region of China has struggled to retain its reputation as a global hub for business amid a clampdown on dissent.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
Gaming operators in Macau—the only place in Greater China where casino gambling is legal—are still recovering from Beijing’s clampdown on VIP junkets, which until four years ago contributed roughly half of Macau’s total gaming revenue.
—John Kang, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
But the judgment will disappoint many in Kashmir, including the region’s main pro-India Kashmiri politicians who had petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the deeply unpopular decision, which was imposed under an unprecedented security and communication clampdown that lasted many months.
—Aijaz Hussain, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2023
Verb
Brazil’s political right has long characterized de Moraes as overstepping his bounds to clamp down on free speech and engage in political persecution.
—David Biller, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
China’s massive real estate sector fell into trouble after the government clamped down on excessive borrowing by developers in 2020 in an attempt to cool the property bubble.
—Diksha Madhok, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
After the invasion, the Kremlin clamped down severely on Russian society.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Apr. 2024
Even now, after the city has clamped down on the free-for-all, with a new show of force by the Los Angeles Police Department and some modest cleanup efforts since the end of February, a few artists are still getting onsite and leaving more graffiti on the buildings.
—Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
Both have been moving to lower interest rates after rapidly raising them to clamp down on inflation.
—Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The working group was one of the main outcomes of that sitdown, and it was quickly followed by the U.S. lifting sanctions on a Chinese government forensics laboratory in return for Beijing’s promise to clamp down on the fentanyl trade.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024
The Biden administration has sought to clamp down on the practice, but a federal appeals court rejected a new regulation to restrict their use in November.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2024
With Draymond Green having fouled out in the last three minutes, Golden State clamped down on Wembanyama (27 points, 14 rebounds).
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Clampdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clampdown. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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