seize

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word seize different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of seize are clutch, grab, grasp, snatch, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

When might clutch be a better fit than seize?

While the synonyms clutch and seize are close in meaning, clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

How are the words grab and snatch related as synonyms of seize?

Grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When is it sensible to use grasp instead of seize?

The words grasp and seize are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

How do snatch and seize relate to one another?

Snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

When could take be used to replace seize?

The words take and seize can be used in similar contexts, but take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of seize Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson let a live ball bounce over his head on a kick return, then didn’t make an effort to recover it in the end zone, where the Seahawks seized on it for a touchdown. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025 This book is meant to capture a moment alive with promise and possibility, when Koreans were seized by dreams of freedom and starting anew. Kornel Chang september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025 Since then, Russian forces have seized or destroyed many of the rest. Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 Pineiroa and Bryan face an additional lawsuit from a Washington County woman who claims her vehicle was improperly seized by the Nelson County Sheriff's Office. Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for seize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seize
Verb
  • Some leaders and business development professionals get ahead of themselves, trying to show benefits without fully understanding the pain points and issues affecting their teams, leads and customers.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Finding additional examples could help astronomers better understand how often such ejections occur and shed new light on the complex life cycles of the universe's smallest galaxies.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • McIver was arrested on charges of assaulting a federal officer while attempting to enter.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Investigators still seek information about the suspects Ramos' fingerprints were found in an investigative case file by the Special Investigations Unit, and a match came back to a Maria Ortiz, who was arrested for shoplifting in Bakersfield, California, in June 1989.
    Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • On third-and-9 from the 50, Murray threw a contested pass that receiver Zay Jones couldn’t grab.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Thomas grabbed her husband’s ashes and some cash before trying to rescue her German shepherd, Storm, her companion of more than six years.
    Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even confiscating half would barely register against a $6 trillion federal budget.
    Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Gordon allegedly brought two envelopes with 61 strips of Suboxone to an inmate at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility — which were then confiscated by officers and sent to a crime lab to be tested by a forensic analyst.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Both members are known to hold their votes during many large, contentious votes in an effort to get more spending cuts.
    Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
  • As people now know, there was a quarter percentage point (also known as 25 basis points) interest rate cut.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Spokesperson Matt Sanders said LMPD believes all individuals involved have been apprehended.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Police then apprehended the 21-year-old suspect and noted an AK-style pistol and a Glock magazine in plain view.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Regulators caught off-guard News of Tesla’s Bay Area robotaxi plans unsettled regulators at the California State Transportation Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), according to the emails exchanged on July 25, which were seen by Reuters.
    Chris Kirkham, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Rodriguez, 23, didn’t spend a ton of time catching in the Yankees’ system due to New York’s abundance of catching prospects, catching only 172 games over six seasons in the minors.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • One of the shooting deaths included in ADL’s data involved the suspect robbing a fast-food restaurant and then stealing a getaway vehicle.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Those are the Florida cities that typically steal the spotlight.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Seize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seize. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

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