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
Examples of clampdown in a Sentence
Verb
the need to clamp down on petty crime in the city
Recent Examples on the Web
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Its allure for China's wealthy surged after 2019, when a wave of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong led to a clampdown by Beijing and the introduction of a national security law the next year.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
If Lamb is out, opposing defenses will likely clamp down a bit more with only Pickens to worry about as an explosive play threat, which means moving the chains will be a little harder for the rest of the offense.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clampdown
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Noun
And Kimmel’s unprecedented defenestration joins a wave of cultural clampdown that crested earlier this year, when Colbert got the shady can from his parent company, likely for mocking the President.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Its allure for China's wealthy surged after 2019, when a wave of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong led to a clampdown by Beijing and the introduction of a national security law the next year.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
One of those headhunters told CNN that professionals with experience in semiconductors were a key focus in his province Jiangsu, where an already strong chip-making industry is under pressure to innovate after the US clamped down on exports of the critical technology.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
If Lamb is out, opposing defenses will likely clamp down a bit more with only Pickens to worry about as an explosive play threat, which means moving the chains will be a little harder for the rest of the offense.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clampdown
Cite this Entry
“Clampdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clampdown. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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