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
-
Uruguay knows avoiding defeat will be enough to progress as either the runner-up or one of the lucky third-place finishers.
-
Both Sydney’s and Carmy’s reactions are subdued — neither knows how to process it.
Verb
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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.
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.
Verb
-
What actually cuts through and grabs attention nowadays is humanity, clarity and credibility in messaging.
-
When Martinez throws something back, the woman rushes toward her, throws her to the ground, grabs her by the hair and repeatedly attacks her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Verb
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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.
-
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.
Verb
-
Pochettino is not a man who understands why anybody would want to wait.
-
The company has 23 quantum systems installed at research institutes, enterprises, and high-performance computing centers and understands the need and urgency for fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Verb
-
John Early, as anyone encountering his work soon apprehends, chooses the latter.
-
Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.
Verb
-
Angèle’s narrative never catches fire and while Anei is striking as Ada, that section of the film feels slightly patronizing, reducing this immigrant tale to yet another strained salute to perseverance.
-
Then something unusual catches your eye.
Verb
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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.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Seizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seizes. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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