CRACKED DOWN (ON) Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

cracked down (on)

verb

past tense of crack down (on)

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracked down (on)

Verb

Trump hadn’t yet declared war on Iran, but the country was roiling with protests, which had been harshly suppressed.

— Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Chinese exploitation of voter data claims Trump argued that the intelligence community suppressed information about China allegedly accessing 220 million voter files and trying to turn American opinion against him in the run-up to the 2020 election.

— Justin Fishel, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of suppressed

Verb

Could the temporary seating at BMO Field actually withstand the number of people All those fears were quelled when Toronto put on six memorable matchday experiences, along with raucous watch parties throughout the city.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Burke said Washington left Bedford, confident that the protest had been quelled through his diplomacy.

— Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026

Definition of quelled

Verb

Andrew Arrabaca, 43, was charged in Manhattan federal court a day after the attack at 26 Federal Plaza that injured three people before security officers subdued him.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
India has been the most prolific IPO market in the world over the last two years, with the highest number of listings, but activity was subdued here during the first half of the year.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Definition of subdued

Verb

The majority also slapped down his global tariffs, finding that only Congress had the authority to impose them.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Today the Supreme Court slapped down the move made by a federal appeals court last year to overturn Hernandez's conviction.

— Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Definition of slapped down

Verb

After several years of working and living abroad as digital nomads, most recently in Portugal, the couple was looking for a place to put down roots while continuing their global work.

— Scott Neuman, NPR, 24 July 2026
Phoenix put down a stake in the pecking order of the second division of MLP with a dominant 3-1 win over Florida.

— Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of put 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

cracked

cracked down (on)

cracked (on)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cracked down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracked%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cracked down (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

parochial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes