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
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Tillis, who is retiring, said his doubts about Noem go beyond her department's handling of the immigration clampdown in Minnesota.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Maduro clamped down on dissent, jailing hundreds of activists, ordering government forces to fire on protesters and triggering another exodus of migrants.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clampdown
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Noun
That warning came after authorities’ brutal clampdown on nationwide protests in Iran.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Tillis, who is retiring, said his doubts about Noem go beyond her department's handling of the immigration clampdown in Minnesota.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Responding to the continuing tidal waves of malware, adware and permission abuse, Google is now clamping down.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Maduro clamped down on dissent, jailing hundreds of activists, ordering government forces to fire on protesters and triggering another exodus of migrants.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 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 31 Jan. 2026.
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