crackdown
Americannoun
-
crackdowns
plural
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.
See Examples For:
Authorities detained its founding pastor Ezra Jin during the October crackdown but he was released in July, weeks after US President Donald Trump raised his case with Xi.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Commerce Department as part of a wider crackdown on Chinese vehicle technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Australia last year banned under 16s from the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, in a crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
The crackdown also comes amid questions over how Hegseth determines who gets access to Pentagon information.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 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
Reasonable action to restrict and control migration today will, one hopes, avoid the excessive crackdowns, to say nothing of mob violence, that the world has seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
CJP is a national movement born out of a satirical campaign, rather than an actual party, and has faced heavy police crackdowns.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
His arrest was part of one of China’s biggest crackdowns on Christianity in decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
A surge in arrests of suspected foreign scammers in Sri Lanka has authorities concerned that the island is fast becoming a hub for online crime, following sweeping crackdowns in hotspots Cambodia and Myanmar.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
The police crackdowns mounted, and more and more migrants came to the church.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
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.
