Crackdown
/ˈkrækdaʊn/
Definitions
A series of severe measures taken to suppress or curb an undesirable activity or behavior.
/ˈkrækdaʊn/
A severe action taken to suppress something undesirable.
The company faced a financial crackdown after the scandal.
💡 Simply: Imagine something bad is happening, like people not following the rules. A crackdown is when someone, like the police or the government, takes strong action to stop it, like when they start giving out lots of tickets for speeding or arresting people for stealing.
👶 For kids: When grown-ups do something to stop bad stuff from happening, like if kids are not following rules. It is like giving a warning and maybe a punishment!
More Examples
The crackdown on illegal immigration led to increased border security.
The government's crackdown on corruption was met with mixed reactions.
How It's Used
"The government announced a crackdown on tax evasion."
"Police launched a crackdown on street crime."
Idioms & expressions
Crack down on
To take severe measures to suppress or control something.
"The government will crack down on drug trafficking."
From "crack" (to break down) + "down" (intensifying the action). Emerged in the late 19th/early 20th century to describe a forceful action to suppress illegal activities.
The term gained prominence in the mid-20th century, often used in the context of law enforcement and social control. Early uses related to dealing with crime and dissent.
Memory tip
Imagine cracking *down* on something, like a hard nut, to stop it.