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Synonyms

clamp down on

Idioms  

  1. Also, put the clamps on. Become stricter or more repressive; put a stop to. For example, The company was clamping down on expenses like business lunches, or It's time we put the clamps on polluters. [Mid-1900s]

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.

The new act is designed to clamp down on 'tailgating' - where supporters without tickets make their way through turnstiles by staying close behind legitimate ticket-holders.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

But the city-state is fighting back, including through tough laws that can compel tech giants to clamp down on fraud -- with scam cases and losses down last year for the first time since 2021.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

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

Buckley, who stood for the Greater Manchester mayoral elections as an independent, said he wants to clamp down on knife crime and anti-social behaviour.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

He didn't clamp down on it; that would pull him out of the airlock.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

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.