crackdown
1 of 2noun
crack·down ˈkrak-ˌdau̇n 
: an act or instance of cracking down
crack down
2 of 2verb
cracked down; cracking down; cracks down
intransitive verb
: to take positive regulatory or disciplinary action
Synonyms
Verb
- clamp down (on)
- crush
- put down
- quash
- quell
- repress
- silence
- slap down
- snuff (out)
- squash
- squelch
- subdue
- suppress
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Companies that pollute are the target of a new crackdown.
Recent Examples on the Web
Raffaele Huang, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 For some Chinese players, there has also been anxiety about a regulatory crackdown. Michelle Toh, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 The causes include coronavirus restrictions and a regulatory crackdown that has hit the tech industry and private education. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022 Those worries and a regulatory crackdown on technology firms by Beijing has put pressure on the Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index, which is down 65% from its all-time high reached in February last year. John Cheng, Bloomberg.com, 12 Aug. 2022 Real estate makes up more than a quarter of China’s economy, but has been hurt by policies such as a regulatory crackdown on credit and China’s growth-stifling zero-COVID-19 policy. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2022 But it is already being tested by the economic slowdown, born in part of the government’s draconian campaign against the coronavirus and a regulatory crackdown on the once-booming real estate industry. New York Times, 19 July 2022 Xi’s presence amounted to a declaration of confidence in the city’s stability after years of COVID-19, political protests and a subsequent crackdown on dissent. Stephanie Yangstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2022 China’s once-dynamic internet giants remained shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty in the wake of a nearly two-year regulatory crackdown. Clay Chandler, Fortune, 27 June 2022 See More
Noun
Beijing last summer halted granting new licenses to titles and restricted the playtime for gamers under 18 years old as part of a broader regulatory crackdown on the country’s internet sector. Raffaele Huang, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 For some Chinese players, there has also been anxiety about a regulatory crackdown. Michelle Toh, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 The causes include coronavirus restrictions and a regulatory crackdown that has hit the tech industry and private education. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022 Those worries and a regulatory crackdown on technology firms by Beijing has put pressure on the Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index, which is down 65% from its all-time high reached in February last year. John Cheng, Bloomberg.com, 12 Aug. 2022 Real estate makes up more than a quarter of China’s economy, but has been hurt by policies such as a regulatory crackdown on credit and China’s growth-stifling zero-COVID-19 policy. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2022 But it is already being tested by the economic slowdown, born in part of the government’s draconian campaign against the coronavirus and a regulatory crackdown on the once-booming real estate industry. New York Times, 19 July 2022 Xi’s presence amounted to a declaration of confidence in the city’s stability after years of COVID-19, political protests and a subsequent crackdown on dissent. Stephanie Yangstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2022 China’s once-dynamic internet giants remained shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty in the wake of a nearly two-year regulatory crackdown. Clay Chandler, Fortune, 27 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1935, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1939, in the meaning defined above