crackdown

[ krak-doun ]

noun

1. the severe or stern enforcement of regulations, laws, etc., as to root out abuses or correct a problem.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crackdown¹

1930–35, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase crack down

Example Sentences

Lai is one of the most influential pro-democracy figures in the city, which has come under an increasingly severe crackdown from Beijing.

From BBC

His chosen "border czar", Tim Homan, has urged sanctuary cities to "get the hell out of the way" of federal immigration crackdowns.

From BBC

Many members of Russia's opposition have been exiled since the Kremlin escalated its crackdown on dissent, jailing hundreds - perhaps thousands - of people for their political views.

From BBC

Indeed some critics have pointed to the DEA's crackdown on opioid "pill mills" with pushing more people to use street heroin and eventually fentanyl, which resulted in overdoses soaring as prescriptions fell.

From Salon

An advocacy center that offered a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in Beijing has been closed as part of a government crackdown.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clampdown
• repression
• strike
• suppression