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 In the second Trump Administration, a class of Silicon Valley leaders was insinuating itself into politics in a way that recalled one of Mimura’s primary subjects of study: the élite bureaucrats who seized political power and drove Japan into the Second World War. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025 Spanish explorers, driven by the promise of immense wealth, embarked on expeditions to the New World and seized vast amounts of gold from the local population. Gabriel O. Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025 The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit seized 148 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, according to a statement the sheriff's office posted to Facebook. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025 Panama has rejected his demand that the United States seize the Panama Canal. Mark Landler, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for seize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seize
Verb
  • The real stories of the game and its people from someone who lives it and understands it better than any member of the media who has never played the game ever could.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Plus, the startup is also building out its use of AI to understand complex datasets and more.
    Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The sheriff said his priority would be working with ICE to arrest members of gangs, such as Tren de Aragua, or TDA, which is based in Venezuela and Bradshaw said has a presence in Miami.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
  • In return for the temporary dismissal of his indictment for bribery and fraud, Adams’ promised to assist the Trump administration in arresting migrants in New York City.
    Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Tari Eason scored 14 points and Dillon Brooks added 12. Sabonis’ injury Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running the floor just over a minute into the game.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Lozano exited the match in the 28th minute after appearing to grab his left hamstring.
    Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Personal property confiscated by the FBI during its 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago was boxed up and loaded onto Air Force One to make the journey back to Florida.
    Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Mar. 2025
  • President Donald Trump celebrated on Friday after the FBI returned boxes of classified documents that were confiscated during a raid of Mar-a-Lago in 2022.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • An small, undisturbed fishing town with untouched charm, it's not known to many—although word is slowly spreading.
    Mariah Tyler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Emmy and Golden Globe winner Goodman, a beloved screen vet, is well known for series including Roseanne, The Conners and The Righteous Gemstones and movies such as The Big Lebowski, The Flinstones and Monsters Inc.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But the path toward apprehending the culprit runs not through a procedural hunt but via an unlikely act of literary criticism.
    Katie Kitamura, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The rapper, who was in town to host and perform at a party at Friends Sports Bar & Kitchen, was apprehended by local law enforcement and subsequently detained.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Attendees pose in front of Halloween decorations, then scramble to catch a photo beneath artificial snow nearby.
    Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Florida Dolphin Found 'In Distress' Later Diagnosed with Bird Flu, Study Finds Colleen Talty, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, also told the AP that many people come to Monterey from all over the world to try to catch a glimpse of the elusive northern right whale dolphin.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • While the competitive spirt was certainly alive and well between co-parents Tarek, Heather and Christina throughout the season, another personal crisis unexpectedly stole the show: Christina's split from Josh.
    Colson Thayer, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025
  • While its interior artfully blends mid-century aesthetics with a modern Scandinavian feel, the food and beverage program truly steals the spotlight.
    Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Seize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seize. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on seize

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