SEIZES Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

seizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of seize

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

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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

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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

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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

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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 seizes Obreht is a writer who doesn’t rush into easy patterns of storytelling but seizes control from the jump. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 Better, Cretton seizes small moments to put his stamp on this installment. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Rhaenyra, queen of the Blacks, seizes the Iron Throne in King’s Landing with the support of Alicent, who has simply had enough of her unstable and terrible sons. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for seizes

Verb

Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.

— Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The honest answer is that in 2026, nobody knows which of them sells more goods to American consumers.

— Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of knows

Verb

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.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.

— Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026

Definition of arrests

Verb

Unlike most other states, California has its own inspection-and-approval system for fireworks, and confiscates those failing standards.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 June 2026
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

Definition of confiscates

Verb

Luiz understands that aspect, too, acknowledging that Sporting KC needed him four separate times during Thursday’s news conference.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Churches, neighborhoods, nonprofits, businesses, utilities and government should periodically engage in preparedness exercises so everyone understands their role.

— Freida Graves, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of understands

Verb

California courts have repeatedly refused to rewrite unconstitutional tax statutes on the grounds that this usurps the role of the Legislature or, in the case of an initiative, the people.

— Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
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

Definition of usurps

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“Seizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seizes. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of seizes

verb

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