to seize

Examples

• All

• The native men leap up with a shout, seize Joe, and carry him off.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Back in Tehran, the hard-liners seized the embassy, and overnight, the whole country changed.

  Enemy of the State (1998)

• But much more difficult, next to impossible for the government to seize the Bitcoin supply.

• Let's say blue team has gone ahead and seized red team's location here.

• The nature of power is that it belongs to no one until it is taken, seized.

  The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

• Ukraine responded by seizing gas that was on its way to Germany through the pipeline.

  Academic text (2011)

• In 1969, politicized workers in its mental health unit seized control of the facility.

  Academic text (2011)

• A man becomes an entrepreneur by seizing an opportunity and filling the gap.

  Academic text (1999)

• Tension with Japan had begun when the United States seized the Philippines in 1898.

  Academic text (1991)

• Caesar surprised Scipio by marching off and seizing a set of nearby hills.

Synonyms

T

to take

vsto seize

∞ 2.8

Cause someone to die or suffer great harm

is often sudden and forceful, not only claiming or assuming possession

C

to catch

vsto seize

∞ 1.0

To take hold of a moving person or thing to stop it

is similar but emphasizes sudden forceful control beyond mere stopping

A

to arrest

vsto seize

∞ 3.4

To detain someone and take them to the police station

is wider, covering nonlegal sudden forceful taking as well as custody

C

to capture

vsto seize

884 2.8

To catch and take control of someone or something after a chase

is often sudden and immediate rather than result of a long chase

C

to conquer

vsto seize

397 3.7

To take control of a place by force or to beat something hard like a fear

is often sudden and can apply to small objects as well as territories

T

to take control

vsto seize

227 3.5

Start to have power and make decisions about something

is usually sudden and can involve physical force, not gradual assumption

T

to take over

vsto seize

222 3.8

Gain control of a company, organization, or government

is often faster and more sudden, covering immediate forceful acquisition

S

to snatch

vsto seize

136 3.0

To take something quickly with your hand

is broader, used to gain power suddenly and often by force

C

to clutch

vsto seize

118 3.4

To hold something tightly with the hands or because of strong feeling

is usually more forceful and aimed at control rather than emotional holding

G

to grip

vsto seize

85 1.3

To hold something or someone tightly, often to keep them safe

is broader, often involving sudden force beyond tight holding in struggle

A

to assume

vsto seize

77 5.7

Take control of a group or position without proper authority

is typically sudden and may involve physical force, not only stepping into a role

G

to grasp

vsto seize

60 1.1

To take and hold something firmly with the hands

is usually more forceful and sudden, not just steady firm holding

N

to nab

vsto seize

• Informal

40 5.8

Catch someone suddenly to stop or arrest them

is broader, applying to sudden forceful taking beyond just stopping people

U

to usurp

vsto seize

34 8.6

To take power or a position from someone without the right, often by force

is broader, covering lawful or unlawful sudden forceful taking as well

S

to snatch up

vsto seize

24 4.6

To grab something quickly, often before someone else

is the more general act of gaining control quickly and forcefully

T

to take hold of

vsto seize

21 3.1

Grab something or someone with your hands

is often faster and more violent, not only a deliberate hand action

S

to seize on

vsto seize

19 5.3

To quickly use an idea or chance to get an advantage

is often physical and forceful, not only about using opportunities

T

to take hold

vsto seize

15 2.0

To grasp something with your hands

is usually sudden and forceful rather than a deliberate securing by hands

W

to wrest control

vsto seize

4 7.7

To take control from someone by force or strong effort

is usually more sudden and immediate rather than long struggle

S

to snatch the opportunity

vsto seize

3.9

To take a chance quickly before other people do

is more general, applying to physical taking as well as grasping chances

Antonyms

R

to release

∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

S

to surrender

722 4.4

To stop fighting and give control or things to someone else, often when forced

Idioms

S

to seize the opportunity

10 3.9

Act quickly to use a good chance

Phrasal Verbs

S

to seize on

19 5.3

To quickly use an idea or chance to get an advantage

S

to seize up

8 6.5

Stop working properly because of damage or lack of oil

How Forceful

to overpower

33 3.8

capture

112 3.2

to seize

277 3.2

to grab

∞ 1.0

to take

∞ 2.8

Surface Forms

Etymology