SINCE 1828
clamp down on
phrasal verbDefinition of clamp down on
1
: to try harder to punish (people who are doing something that is not legal or proper)
Customs officials are clamping down on smugglers. The school should clamp down on students who cut classes.
2
: to work harder to stop (a crime)
The state is clamping down on drug trafficking.
Comments on clamp down on
What made you want to look up clamp down on? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Homophone Quiz
-
- In order to judge how people felt, the senator's office hired a firm to take a
______.
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Homophone Quiz
More/moor than/then two/too/to.
Take the quiz -
Liar, Liar Quiz
Test your knowledge of words for lies, liars, and those being lied to. In other words, everyone.
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
Take the quiz -
Syn City
Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
Play the game
Share clamp down on
Resources for clamp down on