seize up
verb
seized up; seizing up; seizes up
: to stop working because the moving parts can no longer move
The engine/brakes suddenly seized up.
—sometimes used figurativelyHer brain seized up when she tried to answer the question.
Examples of seize up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And keep an eye on the heat—if the burner’s cranked up too high, the cheese can seize up.
—
Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2026
Nothing works — the gun is seized up, the bolt sticking on some unforeseen burr of filament as the plastic slowly breaks in.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
The cheese will seize up not long after.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026
Down in the pit, on a raw October night in 1966, one of the giant haulers was unloading its tonnage when the pistons of its dump bed seized up.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The democratic processes that stood our nation in good stead over two centuries have seized up.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
Germany’s chemical industry warned shockwaves from the Iran war are beginning to ricochet through Europe’s largest economy, with a number of companies dialing down output as supply chains seize up and energy costs surge.
—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026
Leichman is excited to see what the right-hander can do when his back is not seizing up and his shoulder’s not barking.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
At that point, the federal government has the right to seize up to 15% of borrowers’ after-tax wages — as well as a portion of their Social Security income and entire tax refunds, where applicable — to repay the debt.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
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Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2026
Nothing works — the gun is seized up, the bolt sticking on some unforeseen burr of filament as the plastic slowly breaks in.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
The cheese will seize up not long after.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026
Down in the pit, on a raw October night in 1966, one of the giant haulers was unloading its tonnage when the pistons of its dump bed seized up.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The democratic processes that stood our nation in good stead over two centuries have seized up.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
Germany’s chemical industry warned shockwaves from the Iran war are beginning to ricochet through Europe’s largest economy, with a number of companies dialing down output as supply chains seize up and energy costs surge.
—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026
Leichman is excited to see what the right-hander can do when his back is not seizing up and his shoulder’s not barking.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
At that point, the federal government has the right to seize up to 15% of borrowers’ after-tax wages — as well as a portion of their Social Security income and entire tax refunds, where applicable — to repay the debt.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Seize up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seize%20up. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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