seizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of seize
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

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 seizes Obreht is a writer who doesn’t rush into easy patterns of storytelling but seizes control from the jump. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 Better, Cretton seizes small moments to put his stamp on this installment. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Rhaenyra, queen of the Blacks, seizes the Iron Throne in King’s Landing with the support of Alicent, who has simply had enough of her unstable and terrible sons. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seizes
  1. knows
  2. arrests
  3. grabs
  4. confiscates
  5. understands
  6. apprehends
  7. catches
  8. usurps
Verb
  • And who knows about Newcastle, who have lost three crucial players and only really brought in promising youngsters, all of whom will be managed by someone recruited from the Saudi Pro League.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Beast in Me showrunner Howard Gordon knows there was one scene in the Netflix limited series that was divisive because of its brutality.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of knows
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
Definition of arrests
Verb
  • But his wildly unfiltered speech grabs the attention of beautiful and brash public defender Ginger (Gilpin), herself a crusader for truth.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Profanity also grabs attention since the shock value of an F-bomb can lead to more media coverage and clips circulating on social media.
    — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabs
Verb
  • Unlike most other states, California has its own inspection-and-approval system for fireworks, and confiscates those failing standards.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of confiscates
Verb
  • Early in the first episode, viewers see Sean Combs discussing the importance of media strategy and saying his team needs someone who understands propaganda and media manipulation.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Do not hope everyone magically understands the practical need today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of understands
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
Definition of apprehends
Verb
  • Tyler Clouse / Getty Images Earlier, Twins players and team legends also toured the movie site with several participating in father-son catches.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Be sure to grab a chocolate babka muffin and a slice of whatever the cake of the week is, as well as anything else that catches your eye.
    — Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of catches
Verb
  • California courts have repeatedly refused to rewrite unconstitutional tax statutes on the grounds that this usurps the role of the Legislature or, in the case of an initiative, the people.
    — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of usurps

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Cite this Entry

“Seizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seizes. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of seizes for Spanish Speakers

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