seize up

Idioms

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.

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.

Aim for dishes that still taste perfectly fine when eaten lukewarm, that don’t seize up or congeal the moment they cool.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

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 • Dec. 10, 2025

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 • Oct. 10, 2025

No, talking about Didi made Sean seize up like a busted transmission.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

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