Synonyms

seize

American

[seez] / siz /

verb (used with object)

to take hold of suddenly or forcibly; grasp.

to seize a weapon.

Synonyms:

grab, clutch
to grasp mentally; understand clearly and completely.

to seize an idea.
to take possession of by force or at will.

to seize enemy ships.
to take possession or control of as if by suddenly laying hold.

Panic seized the crowd.
to take possession of by legal authority; confiscate.

to seize smuggled goods.
Law. Also to put (someone) in seizin or legal possession of property (usually used in passive constructions).

She was seized of vast estates.
to capture; take into custody.

Synonyms:

apprehend, arrest

Antonyms:

release
to take advantage of promptly.

to seize an opportunity.
Nautical. to bind or fasten together with a seizing.

verb (used without object)

to grab or take hold suddenly or forcibly (usually followed by on orupon ).

to seize on a rope.
to resort to a method, plan, etc., in desperation (usually followed by on orupon ).

He must seize on a solution, however risky.
to have moving parts bind and stop moving as a result of excessive pressure, temperature, or friction (usually followed byup ).

The engine seized up from cold.
to have a seizure, as of epilepsy.

He seized for about five minutes and then lost consciousness.
(of melted chocolate) to become grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture (often followed byup ).

If the butter is too cold, the frosting will seize.

seize British

/ siːz /

verb

to take hold of quickly; grab

she seized her hat and ran for the bus
to grasp mentally, esp rapidly

she immediately seized his idea
to take mental possession of

alarm seized the crowd
to take possession of rapidly and forcibly

the thief seized the woman's purse
to take legal possession of; take into custody
to take by force or capture

the army seized the undefended town
to take immediate advantage of

to seize an opportunity
nautical to bind (two ropes together or a piece of gear to a rope) See also serve
(of mechanical parts) to become jammed, esp because of excessive heat
to be apprised of; conversant with
the usual US spelling of seise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See catch.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of seize

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English saisen, seisen, from Old French saisir, from Medieval Latin sacīre “to place” (in phrase sacīre ad propriētam “to take as one's own, lay claim to”), from Frankish, perhaps akin to Gothic satjan “to set, put, place”; see set

Explanation

Infomercial salesmen constantly tell you to seize the opportunity to buy their product while you still can. Supplies are limited! After all, everyone will want that solar-powered puppy petter, so you'd better grab the opportunity and buy two! You can seize all kinds of things. Seize the day if you are taking advantage of the present circumstances and enjoying life to the fullest. Seize the castle, if you are a feudal lord fighting with your neighbor. Seize the inspiration if you want to tell a moving story. Seize authority if you are overthrowing a small country. Avoid, at all costs, being seized if you are under zombie attack.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing seize

"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury

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Beowulf vocabulary

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

seize seizes seized seizing

In a staggering solo performance, the Polish rider pulled away from Vollering and then-race leader Marlen Reusser, grabbing enough time to seize yellow and the Tour’s overall lead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

In his response to the motion, the officer’s attorney, Alan Jackson, accused Hochman of releasing the information in an attempt seize control of the narrative and try the case in the court of public opinion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The opening is here, and Carlson seems ready to seize the opportunity.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

By contrast, eventual champions Manchester City recovered from losing their opening match at Chelsea to rattle off 13 straight wins and seize control of the title race.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Whenever one of the missiles landed intact on the rubble pile, she would seize it, standing in full view as she whirled the corded iron round and round, releasing it in a blur of speed.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

The no-nonsense Babs pays for every ounce of freedom she seizes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Still, Europe has a long way to move in the right direction, if it seizes the current day, Oneglia says.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

Chevron maintained a now-coveted presence in Venezuela as Exxon and ConocoPhillips exited the country during waves of expropriations and asset seizes that started in the 2000s under then-President Hugo Chávez and continued under Maduro.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 7, 2026

It’s her first substantial, serious part since 2023’s underseen “Reality” and she seizes the opportunity to be talked about as something other than the internet’s most polarizing ingenue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2025

My chest seizes, air knots in my throat.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Authorities have seized Walter’s cellphone and laptop, according to Bloomberg.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Jack had reached for a vol-au-vent, swallowed it whole in one bite, rinsed it down with a glass of champagne and seized center stage all in one action.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026

In July 2025, more than 350 exotic animals, external from Bangkok were seized at Mumbai and Pune airports over a two-month period.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by the contested islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized by the Soviet Union in 1945.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Gasping for breath, I seized hold of his fingers as his grip tightened.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

After seizing control in the first-set tiebreaker, Fritz roared to a 3-0 lead with a pair of service breaks in the second.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Last year it handled 35% of volume in corporate bonds, down from 61% in 2020, with Tradeweb and an upstart rival, Trumid, seizing much of its lost market share, figures from Crisil Coalition Greenwich show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying that seizing another country's assets to "pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent".

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Many developed a deep affection for the country and its artistic innovations, while seizing on business opportunities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023