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
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
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 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
So, when Ozzie (Kyle Bary), a former child star, finds himself in a heap of trouble, Jax seizes the opportunity to spice up her daily routine.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Continue reading … MARITIME VICTORY — Coast Guard seizes 22,000 pounds of cocaine in largest bust in 18 years.
—FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Unfortunately, though, she’s still possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley, whose voice seizes her body with tiresome frequency.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Iran occasionally seizes oil-carrying vessels over similar charges in the region.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
Iran seizes oil tankers Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, state television reported, claiming the vessels had been smuggling fuel.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 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
So, when Ozzie (Kyle Bary), a former child star, finds himself in a heap of trouble, Jax seizes the opportunity to spice up her daily routine.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Continue reading … MARITIME VICTORY — Coast Guard seizes 22,000 pounds of cocaine in largest bust in 18 years.
—FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Unfortunately, though, she’s still possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley, whose voice seizes her body with tiresome frequency.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Iran occasionally seizes oil-carrying vessels over similar charges in the region.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
Iran seizes oil tankers Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, state television reported, claiming the vessels had been smuggling fuel.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seizes
Verb
-
Hundreds of miles away from Patriots headquarters, a franchise legend who knows Jacas well gave his stamp of approval.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Farley knows firsthand the capability of the Chinese car industry.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention.—
Babak Rahimi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ebuehi starts to drive away as the officer reaches out and grabs Ebuehi and the scooter.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The zookeeper grabs him and delivers the line of the year.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 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
-
Mayor Mamdani understands the deadly seriousness of the task ahead.—
Jonathan Lippman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The film fully understands what genre fans come to the platform for — strong scares, spooky atmosphere and a wild ride.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Neighbors are now living in fear, looking on as ICE apprehends people of color across Minnesota.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This is terrific value for the Jets — Taylor could be an instant-impact three-down weapon who catches a bunch of passes for a long time.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Lemon is highly productive (79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season) and an ace at yards after catch but would be a bit of a surprising pick at 11 because 1).—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 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 1 May. 2026.
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