cracking down (on)

verb

present participle of crack down (on)
as in sitting on
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force a repressive government that cracked down on political demonstrations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking down (on)
  1. quelling
  2. suppressing
  3. subduing
  4. slapping down
Verb
  • The break with Callaway was the first sign that Good Good’s attempts at quelling the crisis were not going well after Clark’s statement on social media Wednesday night.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As Matt Reeves is hard at work in Gotham City, James Gunn is quelling some overeager fans about the timeline of the Batman trilogy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • Rather than suppressing appetite, the compound appears to boost energy expenditure, according to a study published in Science Advances.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Increasingly, the wildfires that most urgently need suppressing ignite in the interfaces between rural and urban areas, places smokejumpers were not originally intended to go.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • The drones rip through the hallways scanning for a threat before disorienting a suspect using flashing lights and subduing them using pepper balls or by ramming into their body, the company says.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This means the market makers, often called dealers, are the ones that have to play catch-up, adding to volatility instead of subduing it.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of subduing
Verb
  • The production runs for 2026 and 2027 are sold out, but future flyers can jump in the queue for the 2028 build now by slapping down a deposit of US$8,000.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of slapping down
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

cracking
cracking down (on)
cracking (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Cracking down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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