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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At home, the Guard’s Basij volunteer arm brutally suppressed recent nationwide protests, establishing itself as the theocracy’s primary tool for squashing dissent.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026 -
This led organically to feelings of love for one’s Black nannies and friendship with the children of your Black live-in maids, but this warmth had to be suppressed.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brannon Martinsen complimented him with 16 points that included a couple of timely shots that quelled any momentum Harvard-Westlake was trying to build.—
Dan Lovi,
Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Ultimately, any hard feelings about how the Blue Jays’ offseason panned out could be quelled by another successful World Series run next season.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The build has felt oddly subdued for much of the month, largely because the focus shifted toward promoting the quarterly Peacock special instead.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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All this, while equity indexes have held near record highs, corporate-debt spreads are subdued and bond-market volatility remains sleepy.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 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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The ideal is to put down at least 20% to avoid paying private mortgage insurance, which is generally required for mortgages that exceed 80% of the home's value.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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Since temperatures have warmed up a bit, Indy DPW crews and Snow Force have put down small amounts of salts on the road.—
Jen Guadarrama,
IndyStar,
27 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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