seize
verb (used with object)
to take hold of suddenly or forcibly; grasp.
had been seizing
-
past perfect progressiveof seize.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
They claimed a wartime power for the president by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, adopted when President John Adams feared a war with France, which had been seizing American ships.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025
For 18 months the FBI had been seizing millions from Full Tilt as it chased down alleged illegal poker payments involving US players.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 4, 2012
He had been seizing almost nonstop for more than a week despite being on four medications.
From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2010
For a fortnight the city's two police forces had been seizing vehicles from each other.
From Time Magazine Archive
Ever since history began, big countries had been seizing smaller ones, and great powers crushing weaker ones.
From The Girl from Alsace A Romance of the Great War, Originally Published under the Title of Little Comrade by Burton Egbert Stevenson
