crackdown
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of crackdown
1930–35, noun use of verb phrase crack down
Explanation
When an authority uses strict or harsh measures to curb certain behavior, it's a crackdown. A crackdown can be seen as positive or negative, depending on what kind of activity is being limited. The violent crackdown of a repressive government on its citizens is anti-democratic, but your principal's crackdown on bullying is most likely good for everyone in your school. Crackdown, with its sense of "severe discipline," may have originated from the phrase crack the whip, although language experts aren't certain.
Vocabulary lists containing crackdown
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.
Food and Drug Administration threatened a major crackdown on cigarettes back in 2017.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
Yang was investigated as part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown which has cut through military ranks and high-level banking, among other sectors.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
An employee from one of the firms told AFP on condition of anonymity that the severity of the crackdown was unprecedented, despite a previous penalty in 2022.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
The Vatican has declared a formal schism with the Society of St. Pius X, excommunicating its bishops and priests in a sweeping crackdown on a traditionalist group that has vexed the Holy See for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
To some, the government’s crackdown did not seem imminent so they did not take the precautions necessary to lessen its effect.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
