seize up

Idioms  

1. Come to a halt, as in The peace talks seized up and were not rescheduled. Originally, from about 1870 on, this term was applied to a machine of some kind that jammed or locked, owing to excessive heat or friction. Its figurative use dates from about 1950.

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Example Sentences

When confronted with her anger, they physically seize up and stop functioning.

From Los Angeles Times

Warner picked Netflix’s offer in part because of uncertainty about how solid Paramount’s financing is, especially if debt markets seize up as they did in 2022, a person with knowledge of the deal said.

From The Wall Street Journal

That fight came to a head in April, when fears of a sudden stop to the global economy caused the Treasury market to seize up.

From Barron's

Tae recalled how his hands would seize up in the morning, unable to open, paralysed from the previous day's work.

From BBC

In 2023, Lewis Capaldi had to abandon his Glastonbury set, after Tourette's syndrome caused his vocal cords to seize up.

From BBC