as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
the need to clamp down on petty crime in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clamp down (on)
Verb
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What could not be as easily quelled were the puns.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026 -
The manifesto will also do little to quell claims of party connections to Russia.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It is designed as a multi-role weapon capable of suppressing enemy air defenses, striking ships, and engaging high-value airborne targets such as surveillance aircraft and aerial refueling tankers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
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Until then, Jude had never read Bram Stoker’s novel, which was suppressed during the Communist era, its supernatural themes being out of alignment with Romania’s view of itself as a modern industrial nation.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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They were abandoned during the Mongol invasion in 1241 and then subdued by the Ottoman empire in 1526.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
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Worley physically fought the officer who used a Taser to subdue him, an affidavit states.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During the village meeting, Stars representatives gave a rundown of the facility, to sit on a roughly 10-acre site east of I-94, and just south of the former Trinity International University campus.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
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On-ear headphones are larger and sit on a solid band that goes over your head with padded earpieces that sit on top of your ears.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Clamp down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clamp%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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