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Synonyms

seized

American  
[seezd] / sizd /

adjective

  1. taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated.

    Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.

    Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.

  2. (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly.

    Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.

  3. (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed byup ).

    I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!

  4. having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed byup ).

    Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.

  5. fully understood; mentally grasped.

    People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.

  6. (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture.

    To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of seize.

Other Word Forms

  • unseized adjective

Etymology

Origin of seized

seize ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

Apple has seized the top position for smartphone market share — something that’s never happened in the first quarter of the year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

The military, which seized power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, did not immediately comment on events and no claims of responsibility were made.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

"I can confirm that there was an attack against the Greek cargo ship, but I cannot confirm that this has been seized by the Iranians," Gerapetritis told CNN.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“As far as I know, the vessel seized by the U.S. is a foreign containership,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

She was nearly out the door when Lady Constance squealed and seized her by the arm.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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.