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Synonyms

clamp down

British  

verb

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

"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

noun

  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

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.

And the current deal also comes with notable concessions that clamp down on some of Live Nation’s most risible business practices.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

Kerry Fulford, a pharmaceutical analyst at Berenberg, told the BBC that this was the "first move Novo Nordisk is making to clamp down on compounding".

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Oil had benefited from a geopolitical premium in recent weeks as investors monitored U.S. threats to target Iran after a recent clamp down on protesters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Barcelona and the popular southern coastal city of Malaga have announced measures to clamp down on short-term tourist rentals in a bid to tame popular discontent at rampant housing prices.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

Matt felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and pull him out of the line.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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.