as in suppresses
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 cracks down (on)
Verb
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In the other, a teenage girl suppresses feelings for her female best friend.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025 -
One hand suppresses the vote; the other strangles the organizing that defends it.—
Essence,
Essence,
20 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
My go-to wintertime body lotion, this instantly quells dryness—locking in moisture without any greasiness or irritation.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
2 Dec. 2025
-
While the presumption was always that Messi would renew with the Herons, the news quells any lingering anxiety.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Royd subdues and binds her before taking off to restore the power.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
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For those who are more into curves than angles, the Bialetti Moon takes all the functional elements of the moka stovetop espresso maker and subdues them with a rounded stainless steel silhouette.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The portrait of a woman who represses and conceals a rape struck a chord as the #MeToo movement took off and put Trobisch on the map.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Trying to eliminate one side inevitably represses part of our own nature.—
Richard P. Weigand,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cracks down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracks%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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