as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
the need to clamp down on petty crime in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clamp down (on)
Verb
-
As part of a previous effort to quell the controversy, Osasuna released documents confirming its contract with Howden, and that LaLiga had been informed of the arrangement.—
Camila Grigera Naon,
Fortune,
12 June 2026 -
Police had to use a water cannon to quell the demonstrators.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
But suppressing undesirable emotions is not only impossible but also not all that helpful.—
Dr. Deepika Chopra,
Flow Space,
16 June 2026
-
Among the combinations studied, the team found that electron leakage could be suppressed at dimensions below 4 nanometers, suggesting future transistors may be scaled even further than current technologies allow.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Reactions were otherwise subdued during the film—a life-like, but glossy depiction of the Iranian regime that struggled to keep audience attention.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
-
By 2015, both sisters had subdued their texture, rocking depleted waves in place.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The Obama Foundation spent some time choosing between Washington Park and Jackson Park, which sit on either side of the University of Chicago campus, before choosing the lakefront location.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Koh cofounded Aaru in March 2024, at 19, with Cameron Fink, then 18, and John Kessler, then 15 (and too young to sit on the board).—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Clamp down (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clamp%20down%20%28on%29. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
