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 Morgan Rielly seized it and sent teammates Auston Matthews and William Nylander on a two-on-one rush, which resulted in a Matthews goal in Igor Shesterkin’s net. Peter Baugh, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 And there’s no question that the winners of the future energy economy will be those who move most swiftly to seize new technologies and markets; just look at China. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025 That filing — which is civil and not criminal — allows prosecutors to seize assets and investigate them. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025 However, by that point, Musk and other right-wing figures had seized on his original comments, amplifying them to their audiences. Ari Levy, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for seize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seize
Verb
  • Trade patterns and alliances may shift but great companies understand the importance of rotating across geographies to develop talent for leadership roles.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Lyra’s quest to understand Dust brings her into confrontation with human and other worldly forces who champion moral absolutism over imagination, ignorance over knowledge, authoritarianism over free will and cold, disinterested rationality over empathy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bilodeau was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in a Nassau County court Wednesday morning.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • One particularly aggressive military style raid on an apartment building in south Chicago saw dozens arrested and children separated from their parents.
    Connor Greene, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Casanovas’ use of the brand as a platform for self-expression has clearly grabbed attention among his Gen Z peers.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • So instead of getting out your sad, chipped mixing bowls as your backup serving pieces, grab a three-piece set of these Trudeau porcelain serving bowls.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ogles’ phone was confiscated by the FBI in 2024.
    Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Jones had asserted that the shootings were staged as part of a federal plot to confiscate Americans’ guns.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Returning for a record-breaking 23rd season on SNL, Kenan Thompson is not currently known to be dating anyone.
    Alyssa Davis, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Tiki-Ti — Los Angeles, California Arguably one of the best dive bars in the Golden State, the 20-seat Tiki-Ti was founded in 1961 by Filipino immigrant Ray Buhen and is known for its intimate atmosphere, classic rum cocktails and kitschy decor.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Torrance Police Department apprehended the suspect in the case and identified the individual as a former student at the school.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
  • They were apprehended after a foot pursuit led police into Over-the-Rhine.
    David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When a major cloud provider sneezes, the Internet catches a cold.
    Tasmin Lockwood,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Wide receiver Keenan Allen caught a team-leading 11 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown.
    Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • More recently, two pieces of 16th-century armor were returned to the Louvre Museum almost 40 years after they were stolen.
    Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
  • San Diego police arrested a person suspected of stealing a fire engine in south San Diego and driving it up Interstate 5 to Fallbrook Saturday evening, officials said.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Seize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seize. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on seize

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