clamp down
Britishverb
noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It took state insurance commissioners four years to clamp down on one kind of structured debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
By the time regulators clamp down on a specific flavor of risky investing, the money has already moved elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Winstanley said there needed to be "more police on the streets", and that their powers needed to be increased so they could effectively "clamp down".
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
But the spontaneity that charmed tourists and supported street vendors in Vietnam's capital has subsided in recent months as authorities clamp down on illegal use of footpaths.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
On either side of the head, the dragon’s front legs were raised in the air as if ready to clamp down on intruders.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
