cracked down; cracking down; cracks down
: to take positive regulatory or disciplinary action
Examples of crackdown in a Sentence
Noun
Companies that pollute are the target of a new crackdown.
Verb
a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations
Recent Examples on the Web
Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Analysts and insiders told CBS News the scale of the response to Pahalvi's call could determine whether the deadly, 12-day-old protests fizzle out as previous rounds of unrest have, or grow into a major challenge to the government, and provoke a possible wider crackdown.
—CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Over the past week, the president has ramped up threats to take Greenland, claiming the United States needs the Arctic island to secure national security, and warned of potential military strikes against Iran as the regime violently cracks down on protesters.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
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Noun
Iran was plunged into a nationwide internet blackout Thursday evening as mass anti-government protests spread around the country, with Iranians shouting slogans against the ruling theocratic regime as anger mounts over economic turmoil and security crackdowns.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Analysts and insiders told CBS News the scale of the response to Pahalvi's call could determine whether the deadly, 12-day-old protests fizzle out as previous rounds of unrest have, or grow into a major challenge to the government, and provoke a possible wider crackdown.
—CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
While classified documents investigations aren’t unusual, the search of a reporter’s home marks an escalation in the government’s efforts to crack down on leaks.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Over the past week, the president has ramped up threats to take Greenland, claiming the United States needs the Arctic island to secure national security, and warned of potential military strikes against Iran as the regime violently cracks down on protesters.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
Cite this Entry
“Crackdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crackdown. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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