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
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Youth unemployment has remained persistently high in recent years as record numbers of college graduates struggle to find jobs in a slowing economy that’s also been hit by a raft of government crackdowns on private industries.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Details on the Bondi Beach attack Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised the country would crack down on hate speech following the attack.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
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Noun
At least seven grand jury rejections have occurred across five different cases since the administration’s crime and security surge crackdown began in August.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Youth unemployment has remained persistently high in recent years as record numbers of college graduates struggle to find jobs in a slowing economy that’s also been hit by a raft of government crackdowns on private industries.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
And the government appeared to be cracking down on the unrest, both on the streets with a heavy security presence, and by declaring a last-minute holiday to prompt the closure of schools and businesses.
—CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Details on the Bondi Beach attack Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised the country would crack down on hate speech following the attack.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
Cite this Entry
“Crackdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crackdown. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.
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