clampdown

1 of 2

noun

clamp·​down ˈklamp-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce clampdown (audio)
: the act or action of making regulations and restrictions more stringent
a clampdown on charge accounts, bank loans, and other inflationary influencesTime

clamp down

2 of 2

verb

clamped down; clamping down; clamps down

intransitive verb

: to impose restrictions : crack down
the police are clamping down on speeders

Examples of clampdown in a Sentence

Verb the need to clamp down on petty crime in the city
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The long jail terms come amid a protracted national security clampdown by China in the global financial hub, and is the first time the U.N. anti-terrorism ordinance has been used in Hong Kong since 2002. Reuters, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024 As with its clampdown on sideloading and its deployment of a Knox ecosystem to compete with Apple’s equivalent, this needs the same recognition that the table stakes for security and privacy have expanded hugely in recent years. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
Lai is the most high-profile person so far to be charged under the national security law, which Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 to clamp down on the pro-democracy movement. Britt Clennett, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2024 But rather than clamp down on corporations, the legislation seems poised to do the opposite. Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clampdown 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clampdown was in 1938

Dictionary Entries Near clampdown

Cite this Entry

“Clampdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clampdown. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

clamp down

verb
: to act in a strict and forceful manner to stop something
laws clamping down on fraud

More from Merriam-Webster on clampdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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