come down on

present singular third person comes down on · participle present coming down on · past came down on · alternative come down upon

1. transitiveTo punish or criticize (someone).

   The company came down on him like a ton of bricks after he was found skipping work.

   Synonyms: excoriate, reprimand, castigate, chastise, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out

2. slangtransitiveAfrican-American VernacularTo attack or harass (someone).

   Synonyms: beset, lay into, set upon, abuse, aggress, assail, assault, attack

3. transitiveTo pressure (someone or something); to strictly enforce something on (someone or something).
4. transitiveTo cause melancholy in (someone).

   Synonyms: bring down, depress, dispirit, aggrieve, attrist, begloom, begrieve, besorrow