1
as in knows
to have a clear idea of
a critic with a sharp intellect that is able to seize the most subtle nuances of a work of art
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrests
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
seized the leaders of one of the city's major drug rings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grabs
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
seized the escaping balloon just before it got out of reach
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in confiscates
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
Richard III seized the English throne from his brother Edward in 1483
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of seizes
Trump seizes America’s 250th-birthday spotlight, headlining the Great American State Fair, hosting a UFC bout at the White House and promoting new passports, $250 bills and coins bearing his image.
—
Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Ellie brings up the salad and seizes the opportunity to take credit for her part in making lunch.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
While Linda seizes, Bradley makes a break for it on a makeshift raft.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
Dean seizes the moment to confess his feelings for Allie, hoping to turn their friends-with-benefits arrangement into something more.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
The chef Brooks Headley seizes the day every day, showing us that vegetables are canny, capricious characters, capable of anything.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Joan Goodwin, a physics professor with a lifelong love of the stars, seizes the chance to join NASA’s first class of women astronauts and soon finds friendship, passion, and purpose among her fellow trainees.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Earnest and intersectional, the spoken word artist’s debut solo album seizes upon the power of club music to preach about gender equality, personal transformation, and communal uplift.
—Jesse Dorris, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Ellie brings up the salad and seizes the opportunity to take credit for her part in making lunch.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
While Linda seizes, Bradley makes a break for it on a makeshift raft.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
Dean seizes the moment to confess his feelings for Allie, hoping to turn their friends-with-benefits arrangement into something more.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
The chef Brooks Headley seizes the day every day, showing us that vegetables are canny, capricious characters, capable of anything.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Joan Goodwin, a physics professor with a lifelong love of the stars, seizes the chance to join NASA’s first class of women astronauts and soon finds friendship, passion, and purpose among her fellow trainees.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Earnest and intersectional, the spoken word artist’s debut solo album seizes upon the power of club music to preach about gender equality, personal transformation, and communal uplift.
—Jesse Dorris, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seizes
Verb
-
Calmus knows firsthand what NICU families face.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
From Louis through the book, and then his mother knows exactly how to string him along, when to give him love and when to take it away.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The design is what grabs your attention at first sight.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 12,
New Atlas,
12 June 2026
-
The goal is to have a welcoming environment that grabs visitors' attention.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Hughton, whose father is from Accra, understands the frustration of a fanbase starved of success for so long.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Reid understands that people are used to seeing her as her characters or through the lens of her projects but that’s not the full picture.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
John Early, as anyone encountering his work soon apprehends, chooses the latter.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The shimmer catches the light in all the right places—think collarbones, shoulders, and shins—while the summery scent options evoke beach days with notes like coconut, sunflower, and pineapple.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
19 June 2026
-
Those tests include answering questions under a sudden, blinding interrogation light (a bit that reliably catches her guests off guard) and sketching a personal family crest mid-conversation.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Jokic usurps Nurkic Jusuf Nurkic became Jokic’s first backup center in unceremonious fashion, getting benched by Michael Malone 25 games into his third season.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Seizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seizes. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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