crackdown
Americannoun
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the severe or stern enforcement of regulations, laws, etc., as to root out abuses or correct a problem.
Etymology
Origin of crackdown
1930–35, noun use of verb phrase crack 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 US has already sent deportees to several other countries in Africa as part of Washington's crackdown on immigration.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
Xi has signaled no letup in the crackdown.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Federal officials arrested eight people on various fraud charges in a crackdown dubbed “Operation Never Say Die.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
Karki, who had ordered an investigation into the crackdown on protesters, said in her statement Thursday that a report with the findings would be released.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
Most New Yorkers loved this crackdown on its own merit.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.