clamp·down
ˈklamp-ˌdau̇n 
: the act or action of making regulations and restrictions more stringent
… a violent clampdown on suspected Communists …—
Marie Arana
Marie Arana
clamped down; clamping down; clamps down
: 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
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
The economy grew in 2025, despite tariffs, an aggressive clampdown on immigration and one of the weakest stretches of job creation since the Great Recession, largely thanks to wealthy consumers who continued to spend.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
The decree also clamps down on dissent.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clampdown
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Noun
Sakiyama went on to tie that ancestral trauma to the severe and often violent local immigration clampdown, dubbed Operation Midway Blitz.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
The economy grew in 2025, despite tariffs, an aggressive clampdown on immigration and one of the weakest stretches of job creation since the Great Recession, largely thanks to wealthy consumers who continued to spend.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
From there, the Gophers clamped down defensively, made their free throws and, as important, successfully inbounded the ball after a pair of timeouts.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
The decree also clamps down on dissent.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clampdown
Cite this Entry
“Clampdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clampdown. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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