as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack down (on)
Verb
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Later in the video, Rogers used a fire extinguisher to quell some of the flames on the exterior of the door.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026 -
This effort to include everyone did not quell protests.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Dramatic currents, once suppressed, here bloom unashamed.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
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Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Sentiment has remained subdued ever since.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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The atmosphere at the Palace game was strangely subdued, to begin with, lacking the edge or jeopardy that would usually be associated at this stage of the season.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The best way to enjoy it is simply to arrive a little earlier, bring something to drink, sit on the rocks and let the moment unfold naturally.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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The justices ruled 6-3 that Kennedy and his predecessor in the Biden administration had the ability to name the experts who sit on the panel.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
20 May 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 22 May. 2026.
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