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
Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
Trump won reelection on a campaign that promised mass deportations and a crackdown on crime.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Other bills signed into law Monday morning included bills to regulate AI companion chatbots, crack down on deepfake pornography, and strengthen age verification tools so minors don’t access inappropriate apps.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
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Noun
What To Know According to the Associated Press (AP), the vote enables the county Board of Supervisors to approve rent relief efforts to tenants who cannot afford to pay their monthly costs of living due to the immigration crackdowns.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
Trump won reelection on a campaign that promised mass deportations and a crackdown on crime.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
In China, manufacturers have been cracking down on price wars that have raged due to fierce competition.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Other bills signed into law Monday morning included bills to regulate AI companion chatbots, crack down on deepfake pornography, and strengthen age verification tools so minors don’t access inappropriate apps.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2025.
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