seize

verb

ˈsēz How to pronounce seize (audio)
Definition of seizenext
1
as in to understand
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 to arrest
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 to grab
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 to confiscate
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

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 Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been behind bars in New York since early January when forces seized them from their Caracas home in a middle-of-the-night raid. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 Detectives seized the home’s surveillance system, which showed a man named Jiajia Fan assigning customers to the women, collecting payment and turning over the money to a courier, Pinner wrote. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been behind bars in New York since early January when forces seized them from their Caracas home in a middle-of-the-night raid. — Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 Police arrested three people and seized another haul of counterfeit goods. — Daniel Edward Rosen, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seize
  1. understand
  2. arrest
  3. grab
  4. confiscate
  5. know
  6. apprehend
  7. catch
  8. steal
Verb
  • If a degree needs to equip students for life outside of college, then a big part of that is understanding what employers are looking for.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Choudri also made headlines earlier this year after the authority put him on leave after police arrested him at his Folsom home following a fight between his daughter and fiancée.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In 2019, Italian police arrested three people in a scheme to sell at least 11,000 counterfeit bottles of Tignanello in Italy, Germany and Belgium, labeled as 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages but filled with low-quality wine.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Verb
  • Ditto for the reinterpretation of thong sandals that grabbed attention at Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier, or the clear vinyl-like styles seen at Balenciaga, Chloé, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney and Moschino, among others.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Mel Ismail, a 56-year-old father, was rescued by another surfer who just happened to show up at the beach and was willing to risk his own life by grabbing his board and heading towards the bloody water.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Those numbers include 759 false identification cards confiscated, 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations and 98 fake-ID citations during the calendar-year reporting period, according to Oxford Police.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Police returned 13 of the cats confiscated in the raid to their owners.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • Just 20% of Gen Z knew their exact interest rate on their credit debt—the lowest of any generation and well below baby boomers.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The low-lying coastal area is known for its powdery white sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • Several Palestinians suspected of hurling rocks were apprehended for questioning, the military said in a statement.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The hanged man, John Morgan, had been jailed, tried for murder, and convicted, before escaping jail, getting apprehended, and being executed—all in ten days, Mellinger said.
    — Oliver Whang, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprehend
Verb
  • Doechii’s latest release caught the attention of Doja Cat, who pleaded with rap fans from all walks of life to press play.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
  • He gets caught in a rainstorm with the main character, a destitute fourth grader.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of catch
Verb
  • And the other film is about a Jordanian farmer and the water loss in Jordan, because there’s a whole political situation going on with water being stolen by Israel.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in the island's capital city, Naha, early Saturday and stealing her wallet and backpack.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of steal

Browse Nearby Words

seiners
seize
seized
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Cite this Entry

“Seize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seize. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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