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
Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
Chavez was cracking down on dissent, and his economic policies were ruining her family’s chicken processing business, Presti said.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 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
The government is also still cracking down on dissent, arresting people for celebrating Maduro’s capture.
—Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
Chavez was cracking down on dissent, and his economic policies were ruining her family’s chicken processing business, Presti said.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 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 9 Jan. 2026.
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