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.
Right before Iran's latest internet shutdown took effect on January 8, the VPN Observatory noted a 1,000-percent rise in use of Proton's VPN services over the baseline, indicating an awareness of the coming clampdown.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 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
But he backed away when the regime launched its deadly clampdown, continuing to work at a state TV building where he filmed Ramadan soap operas and a morning talk show.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
The last real moment before an algorithmic clampdown that an artist could use the internet to blow their personality to kaiju levels and set it loose on the general public.
From Salon • Nov. 7, 2025
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.