clamping down (on)

verb

present participle of clamp down (on)
as in sitting on
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 clamping down (on)
  1. quelling
  2. suppressing
  3. subduing
  4. slapping down
Verb
  • The break with Callaway was the first sign that Good Good’s attempts at quelling the crisis were not going well after Clark’s statement on social media Wednesday night.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As Matt Reeves is hard at work in Gotham City, James Gunn is quelling some overeager fans about the timeline of the Batman trilogy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • Lampooning authority is even common in autocratic societies where governments spend large sums of money suppressing speech.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This is economic capacity currently lost to suppressing yield across the labor market.
    — Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • The handful of Israeli passengers grappled with the copilot for several minutes before subduing him and binding his hands with the cord from a set of headphones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • After subduing the pilot, another crew member entered the cockpit and stabilized the plane.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of subduing
Verb
  • As lawyers crowded in, Reddington could be seen slapping down a sheaf of papers.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The production runs for 2026 and 2027 are sold out, but future flyers can jump in the queue for the 2028 build now by slapping down a deposit of US$8,000.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of slapping down
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.

Browse Nearby Words

clamping down
clamping down (on)
clamps
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Cite this Entry

“Clamping down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clamping%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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