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
CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
If social media platforms are liable for any harm someone could blame on their content, serious crackdowns on a wide range of material could become warranted.
—Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Law enforcement officials are launching a monthlong campaign to crack down on distracted driving in Minnesota.
—Adam Duxter, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crackdown
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Noun
Video obtained through a public records request shows the 5-year-old boy, who became a face of the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis when he was detained while wearing a bunny hat, being flown with his father to Texas on a Delta Air Lines flight, just a day after they were taken into custody.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
If social media platforms are liable for any harm someone could blame on their content, serious crackdowns on a wide range of material could become warranted.
—Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kast won 58% of the vote after pledging to crack down on crime and deport immigrants without legal status.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Law enforcement officials are launching a monthlong campaign to crack down on distracted driving in Minnesota.
—Adam Duxter, CBS News, 1 Apr. 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 2 Apr. 2026.
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