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 Then, this past winter, the team signed Max Kepler as a potential everyday player, but he's been unable to seize that role. Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025 The decision was made after Netanyahu and Katz cited new information indicating that Hamas was seizing aid intended for civilians in northern Gaza. Reuters, NBC news, 26 June 2025 Her mother, Keily Chinchilla, says Bustillo has often been forced to sleep on the floor, her spine seizing from inflammation, her left arm and half her face numb. Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 25 June 2025 By enhancing their resilience, end users can not only mitigate risks but also seize opportunities for growth and innovation in an ever-changing world. Oliver Wyman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for seize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seize
Verb
  • More research is needed to better understand why diabetic people on GLP-1s have increased eye disease, Shor said.
    Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
  • My obsession to understand this woman, so strange considering her ambitions and remarkable intelligence, is on every page.
    Literary Hub June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was initially arrested in June 2019, along with Troconis, and charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
  • Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night after an intense manhunt and faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • In the few months since its launch, JD.com has grabbed 7.5% of China’s food-delivery market after its daily meal orders reached 20 million on May 13, according to a May 14 research note from Blue Lotus Capital Advisors.
    Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • In Monday night’s first quarter after falling to the court, Haliburton winced and grabbed his lower right leg.
    Shakeia Taylor, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • The Pennsylvania State Game Commission confiscated the wildcats as part of an ongoing investigation.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 June 2025
  • Police would have the power to ticket, impound vehicles, confiscate personal property, revoke licenses and levy heavy fines.
    Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration said the strikes destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known.
    Sonam Sheth Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • Shahn was known as a social realist: a painter of hardscrabble life who registered every spasm and twitch of the body politic, from the Great Depression to Vietnam.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • He was apprehended by the District of Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
  • The mother attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended because of her outstanding warrants, according to ABC7 Chicago.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • With the unlikelihood of Saudi Arabia catching any strays, WWE talent arrived in Riyadh this week with no incident.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • That unique twist is exactly what caught the attention of Quinn Cosgrove, bass player for local Kansas band The Whips.
    Ramal Nasim, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Also starring Clooney in a leading role, The Monuments Men tells the true story of a group of museum curators, art historians and architects tasked with an unlikely mission: tracking down and recovering priceless works of art stolen by the Nazis before they’re destroyed forever.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • The group later stole Samsung electronics valued at $14,081, authorities alleged.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Seize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seize. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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