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

clamp down (on)

verb

Definition of clamp down (on)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for clamp down (on)

Verb

Another term in the CN-UP memorandum aims to quell one of the STB’s concerns about Union Pacific’s potential controlling ownership of multiple local railroads that are currently jointly owned by the Class Is.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 24 July 2026
Since then, the protests have only grown and spread across the country, leaving Modi’s government scrambling to quell them.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 24 July 2026

Definition of quell

Verb

Trump spent time discussing the April attack in his remarks, thanking the law enforcement personnel who subdued the suspect.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 July 2026
The suspect in the shooting at the April dinner, Cole Tomas Allen, was subdued a floor above the ballroom after allegedly shooting a Secret Service officer in his ballistic vest while running through a security checkpoint.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Definition of subdue

Verb

Plush owls are packed into the kind of old-fashioned leather cases which feature prominently in the Potter films while toys of the stars sit on shimmering circular brass shelves next to decorative magical artifacts such as candles and crystal balls.

— Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
The tiny Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla sit on the northern shores of Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.

— Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 31 July 2026

Definition of sit on

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clamp down

clamp down (on)

clamped

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

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Synonyms of clamp down (on)

verb

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