as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack down (on)
Verb
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This potency can be a good thing for quelling inflammation—but also calls for caution.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
9 Dec. 2025 -
Harris, who spent years as a news anchor at ABC, has a couple of tips for quelling the anxiety around those and any other types of conversations.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But some digital rights advocacy groups also worry that such restrictions could suppress certain types of speech, including whistleblower reports, because internet users will worry their identities are tied to their accounts.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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But suppressing undesirable emotions is not only impossible but also not all that helpful.—
Dr. Deepika Chopra,
Flow Space,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The man was subdued and charged with felony assault on a law enforcement agency animal and misdemeanor resisting arrest, according to an arrest warrant.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Dec. 2025
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Royal Caribbean crew members, including security personnel, approached Virgil and tried to subdue him, according to the filing.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The complaint alleges that during lunch, Barney’s students had to sit on the far side of the cafeteria, separated from the other kindergarten classes.—
Chaewon Chung
June 9,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
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Tourists sit on a bollard at the Sydney Opera House.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Crack down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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