clamp down

British  

verb

1. to behave repressively; attempt to repress something regarded as undesirable

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noun

1. a sudden restrictive measure

Example Sentences

I felt like the spinning wheel had bitten me, like it had clamped down on me because it didn’t want me to spin.

From Literature

Davidson had 10 points in the second alone, while the Hoosiers had just 13 total, USC’s defense clamping down after a sloppy start.

From Los Angeles Times

A DHS spokeswoman said Noem serves at the pleasure of the president and has successfully clamped down on inefficiencies to save billions of dollars, calling her efforts “a roaring success.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The roots clamped down around their arms and torsos.

From Literature

It said the bill would clamp down on what it calls "a covert filming epidemic" and wants the government to force social media platforms to remove such content and permanently ban repeat offenders.

From BBC

Related Words

• curb
• muzzle
• repress
• silence
• smother
• squelch
• strangle
• suffocate
• suppress