CRACKING DOWN (ON) Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking down (on)

Verb

Other ubiquitous Chinese deities, such as the regal Jade Emperor, the faithful warrior Guan Yu, the wondrous savior Mazu, and the demon-quelling Zhong Kui, fill both the popular imagination and the stuff of Daoist ritual.

— Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
The very system itself - schooling and parenting - now operates on quelling agency.

— Mimosa Jones Tunney, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Definition of quelling

Verb

Communism is a system of government in which the ruling party controls major investment decisions while hoarding wealth for itself and suppressing all opposition.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
In his view, the Bank of Japan is suppressing bond yields to prevent interest costs on the debt pile from becoming unmanageable.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 July 2026

Definition of suppressing

Verb

Viewers have already seen glimpses of the premiere, which involves Aang and Katara subduing a sea serpent while guiding refugees across a treacherous path.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said.

— City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

Definition of subduing

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)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cracking down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cracking down (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tacit

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes