clampdown
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of clampdown
First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase clamp down
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 population is aging—the youngest of the baby boomer generation is eligible for Social Security retirement benefits this year—while the clampdown on immigration has reduced the supply of new workers into the labor force.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
But in recent weeks the clampdown has intensified.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
One other factor got less attention: the clampdown on the illegal flow of firearms.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
But worries about a looming trade clampdown in the U.S. helped prices start rolling higher, HSBC’s Steel said.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 17, 2026
The library raid was part of that clampdown, and to the NSA it seemed justified.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
