as in suppressed
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 cracked down (on)
Verb
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Last month, security forces brutally suppressed nationwide protests, killing thousands and arresting many more in the deadliest suppression of demonstrations in the history of the Islamic Republic.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026 -
Students have participated in other forms of protest during the school day, which King and Hendrick said was a reaction to feeling that their voices were suppressed.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If Quebec’s French-Canadian separatist movement and various referenda were ultimately quelled by Canada recognizing that culturally and linguistically unique province as a nation within Canada, then Alberta is headed for a similar result, at best.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Haitian immigrants in limbo A federal court ruling to maintain the temporary legal status of Haitian immigrants has not quelled fears for thousands of people in the community.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Few churchgoers were willing to speak publicly afterward and the atmosphere was subdued.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
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Joe Brusuelas, senior economist at RSM US, highlighted a few of those factors when pushing back on White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett’s claim Monday that subdued job gains are primarily the result of lower population figures and higher productivity.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Time and time again, courts have slapped down these strong-arm tactics that lack the force of law.—
Bob Morgan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
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And that’s the big ol’ marker general manager Adam Peters has slapped down on the table, a year-plus into his stint here.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Yet lawyers for the parents suing point to internal documents at the companies stressing the goal of making social media apps difficult to put down through features like infinite scroll, auto-play, likes, beauty filters and push notifications.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
18 Feb. 2026
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His die-hard Red Shirt supporters took to the streets of Bangkok in 2010 in protests that were violently put down.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cracked down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracked%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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