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Showing results for crack down. Search instead for prick+down.
Synonyms

crack down

British  

verb

  1. to take severe measures (against); become stricter (with)

"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. severe or repressive measures

"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
crack down Idioms  
  1. Act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain. For example, The police cracked down on speeding. [1930s]


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.

Advocates warn that until federal regulators crack down more aggressively on opt-out fee models, the burden will remain entirely on everyday consumers to audit their own bills for junk fees.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

China's food delivery apps will now have to verify restaurants' licences and operating addresses, as authorities crack down on thousands of "ghost kitchens" that have raised food safety fears.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Peru's right-wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori promised on Sunday to crack down on crime, while leftist Roberto Sanchez vowed to tackle the "political mafia," in the final debate before the country's June 7 runoff election.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

Farmers in one California county are challenging state officials’ effort to crack down on groundwater overpumping.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“You are. They’re going to crack down on you for signing Washington Irving’s name to all those letters you’ve been signing Washington Irving’s name to. How do you like that?”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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