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
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
Kristin Henning, director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown University Law Center, says even if the numbers were increasing, such a crackdown isn't necessary.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025
Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Trump has also cracked down on what was known as the de minimis exemption, which exempted small shipments valued at $800 or less from customs duties and declarations.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In a wild twist, one of ICE's SUVs was towed mid-arrest—turning their crackdown into a symbol of resistance.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
Kristin Henning, director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown University Law Center, says even if the numbers were increasing, such a crackdown isn't necessary.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
If the government cracks down on how care is authorized and reimbursed, if whistleblower cases uncover deeper abuses, or if investors lose trust in Optum’s structure entirely, then UnitedHealth becomes less of a cash machine and more of a litigation risk.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Trump has also cracked down on what was known as the de minimis exemption, which exempted small shipments valued at $800 or less from customs duties and declarations.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 1 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share