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

Making the material thicker suppressed the effect, limiting both the physical design of the memory and potentially its ability to retain information.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
When the skin’s community of protective bacteria was suppressed with antibiotics, the frogs became more likely to develop signs of disease.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of suppressed

Verb

At the very least, a loss would have quelled any desire to inflict further consequences on Michigan.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
There were angels, of course, and superheroes — men and women who gave or endangered their lives to aid and/or rescue others and those who quelled the natural instinct to panic and managed to simply survive.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of quelled

Verb

Hogan added that the market could experience more trading days like this sporadically over the coming months if sentiment remains subdued amid tensions in the Middle East.

— Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
When Eguileor intervened, Rubin struck her in the head multiple times before other workers subdued him.

— Anna McAllister, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of subdued

Verb

Then, the scene went dark as a Wanted poster of Shaboozey was slapped down on the barroom’s table.

— Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Léo’s tenderly nostalgic reminiscences of past love affairs are slapped down by Emma, who brusquely dismisses his pleasant recollections as mere male projection.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of slapped down

Verb

That’s since Moida put down the stakes of its two-story flagship that boasts some 80 brands and 1,200 products on the Champs-Elysées.

— Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
The family relocated to Chicago in 1953 and put down roots in its Sephardic Jewish community, residing first in Hyde Park and then in West Rogers Park.

— Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 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

heterodox

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes