crack down on — take strict action against
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to start dealing with something or someone much more strictly, often to stop bad behavior or illegal activity.
Say it like a native
Textbook The authorities intend to enforce stricter measures against speeding.
Native Police are cracking down on speeding.
'Enforce stricter measures against' is officialese; 'crack down on' is the everyday news verb.
Pattern: crack down on + noun/gerund
In use
- The school decided to crack down on cheating after several students were caught using their phones during exams.law
- In my opinion, the government should crack down on companies that pollute the environment, because stricter rules would help protect our health.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The government is cracking down speeding.
✓ The government is cracking down on speeding.
Always 'crack down ON' something.
Common collocations
crack down on— crime, speeding, fraud, illegal parking
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'cut down on' (which means to reduce something), or 'break down' (which means to collapse or analyze).