# crackdown

/ˈkɹækˌdaʊn/ (US) · /kɹˈækdaʊn/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crackdown
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

a sudden, strong action by people in power to stop a specific activity or behavior. You usually hear about this when the police or government start strictly enforcing rules that were ignored before.

For teachers: a period of intensified enforcement of laws or regulations, typically involving increased surveillance or punitive measures. Often used in political or legal contexts to describe a sudden shift from leniency to strictness.

## Examples

- The city announced a major crackdown on illegal parking this week.
- Following a series of accidents, the local government launched a crackdown on speeding in residential areas.
- The sudden regulatory crackdown on tech firms led to a sharp decline in market confidence as investors feared more restrictive legislation would follow.

## Pitfalls

- Not "the government made a crack down" but "the government launched a crackdown" — The noun is a single word 'crackdown'; the two-word form 'crack down' is the phrasal verb.

## Usage notes

- Commonly takes the preposition 'on' to indicate the target of the enforcement.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.