seize

Definition of seizenext
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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 It was also seized by the DA’s office this year. Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026 Trump had threatened Thursday to seize Kharg Island, the heart of Iran’s oil industry, through which 90% of its exports pass. Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 Could a party with a tent big enough to include both progressives such as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal and national-security centrists such as Senators Chris Coons and Mark Kelly converge around a vision that can connect with Americans seized by anger and mistrust? Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 Since seizing power, the juntas have cut ties with France and other Western powers, created their own security alliance and turned to Russia for military support to fight extremist insurgencies. ABC News, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for seize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seize
Verb
  • This is inevitably a book by a human about how humans—the makers of art and its viewers—understand the dog seeing in relation to our species.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • While readouts from the two sides as of Tuesday afternoon did not reference nuclear weapons, the meetings may also be a chance for each to understand the other’s strategy and stance – and express their own.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • The woman briefly tried to evade authorities on foot before being arrested, according to the release.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
  • Bryan has been arrested on multiple DUI and domestic violence charges in the past several years.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • There’s plenty to see and do on this one street—stop by Colonial Park Cemetery, established in 1750; the Juliet Gordon Low Birthplace Museum, honoring the founder of the Girl Scouts; then grab a bite at Marbled & Fin, where luxe appetizers and aged steaks reign supreme.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 June 2026
  • After Corbin made his introduction to the Islanders as a whole back at the fire pit, Melanie was the first to grab him for a chat.
    Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Local residents and business owners said Israeli forces had later returned to the area and confiscated all CCTV recordings.
    Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
  • But any noise-making devices such as vuvuzelas, air horns and whistles will be confiscated.
    Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Federal authorities said the unsafe or improper use of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), can pose risks to aircraft, law enforcement operations and people on the ground.
    Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • The deliberate blackouts, commonly known as Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, events, are affecting homes and businesses in eight counties north and west of Sacramento County.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Boelter then fled the scene and was on the run for two days before being apprehended near his home in Green Isle following a massive manhunt.
    Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
  • Lewis was apprehended by officers on the 2100 block of Girard Avenue, police said.
    Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • Running back Jonathon Brooks, who is returning from back-to-back ACL surgeries on his right knee, caught a pass across the middle from Young and blazed down the field through traffic.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
  • All day, the spokespeople for the city and the arena sniped at each other in statements about the security around MSG and the fate of a watch party caught in the snares.
    Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • Oswald Peraza led off the third with a double, and Nick Madrigal drove him in with a two-out single before stealing second and scoring on Logan O’Hoppe’s single for a 4-0 advantage.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
  • Instead of asking for an iPhone passcode, a scammer may send a fake Google, Find My Device, Find Hub, Samsung Find or carrier message after your Android phone is stolen.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Seize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seize. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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