transitive verb
1. : to prohibit or restrain (a person or group) usually abruptly and with censure from acting in a specified way : squelch
were slapped down with the … law regulating railroads — W.A.Lydgate
2. : to put an abrupt stop to : suppress
slapped down a Labor attempt to censure his government — Time
open criticism of the regime is quickly slapped down by the police — Richard Mowrer