crackdown

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English crack downdeverb. English crackdown Deverbal from crack down.

1. Abruptly stern measures or disciplinary action; increased enforcement.

   “After a harsh police crackdown last week fueled anger and swelled protests, President Dilma Rousseff, a former guerrilla who was imprisoned under the dictatorship and has now become the target of pointed criticism herself, tried to appease dissenters by embracing their cause on Tuesday.”

   “In the last two years crackdowns on various sectors of the economy, as well as prominent Chinese businessmen, have caused uncertainty. These have recently widened to include foreign nationals and firms, heightening worries in the international business community.”