clampdown

[ klamp-doun ]
See synonyms for clampdown on Thesaurus.com
noun

Origin of clampdown

1
First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase clamp down

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use clampdown in a sentence

  • He tied his apron carefully and sidled toward the table to oversee the situation and clamp down a lid if necessary.

    Shock Treatment | Stanley Mullen
  • Those on the right and left clamp down to hold the film, while the narrower one in the center clamps down on the cemented edge.

  • The old hands squeezed suddenly, and Hanson felt a vise clamp down around his throat.

    The Sky Is Falling | Lester del Rey
  • Mikah relaxed and Jason removed his hand slightly, ready to clamp down if the other's voice rose above a whisper.

    The Ethical Engineer | Henry Maxwell Dempsey
  • Run the clamp down to the pile, place a card or fiber template on top of the pile in front of the clamp.

    Paper-Cutting Machines | Niel, Jr., Gray

British Dictionary definitions for clamp down

clamp down

verb(intr, adverb often foll by on)
  1. to behave repressively; attempt to repress something regarded as undesirable

nounclampdown
  1. a sudden restrictive measure

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012