seize on
Idioms-
Also, seize upon.
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Grab or take hold of suddenly, as in He seized on the bell rope and started to pull vigorously , or She seized upon every opportunity to present her side of the story . [Late 1600s]
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Resort to some action, especially out of dire necessity, as in He seized upon any excuse, no matter how farfetched .
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.
There’s a branding aspect in a lot of festivals for a movie that’s a hot movie that the press has decided to seize on.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
STMicroelectronics Chief Executive Jean-Marc Chery said the group was well positioned to seize on AI demand, projecting AI data-center sales above $500 million this year and well above $1 billion in 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
Yeah, they were very close for a while, but Epstein’s defining human trait was an ability to seize on his connections and leverage them for as much currency as he could.
From Slate ● Feb. 4, 2026
Even before adding Echo Lake to its portfolio of 25 other acquisitions, Cal-Maine was starting to seize on the public’s increasing appetite for “specialty eggs.”
From Barron's ● Dec. 11, 2025
With nothing left but a soon-to-wither manioc crop, it could hardly be a strategic advantage for the combatants to seize on.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
