From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishseizeseize /siːz/ ●●○ W3 verb [transitive] 1 TAKE something FROM somebodyTAKE something FROM SOMEWHEREto take hold of something suddenly and violently SYN grab Suddenly, he seized my hand.seize something from somebody Maggie seized the letter from her.► see thesaurus at holdRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say grab or grab hold of rather than seize:She grabbed hold of his hand.2 CONTROLto take control of a place suddenly and quickly, using military forceseize power/control (of something) The rebels have seized power. A group of soldiers seized the airport.3 TAKE something FROM SOMEWHEREif the police or government officers seize something, for example illegal drugs, they take legal possession of it 160,000 CDs were seized from illegal factories. All of my assets were seized, including my home.4 CATCHto suddenly catch someone and make sure they cannot get away The gunmen were seized at 1 am.5 → seize a chance/an opportunity/the initiative6 → be seized with/by terror/desire etc → seize on/upon something → seize up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
seize• Police seized 53 weapons and made 42 arrests.• Assets worth over $1 million were seized, along with documents relating to the company's financial dealings.• Three women were seized at gunpoint.• I trembled and was seized by a sudden fear.• Over 52,000 E-tablets hidden in a car door were seized by customs officials.• Sudden alarm seized Frith.• Over 1,300 litres of highly alcoholic brew had been seized from one wing alone, in nine months.• Over most of the twentieth century organizations worried about choosing and seizing growth opportunities through adding capacity and people.• "Come with me, " said Nat, seizing him by the arm.• Authorities have seized over 200 pounds of marijuana since Feb. 1.• The General has been Head of State since he seized power in 1982.• After seizing power, the soldiers changed into civilian clothes and became presidents.• Rebel soldiers attacked the island, seizing the capital and arresting government officials.• All but a few would advise others to seize the chance and profit from it.seize power/control (of something)• In 1983 a group of leftist army officers led by Thomas Sankara seized power.• In Seoul, another assassin stabbed Wan-Yong Yi, the collaborator who had helped Ito seize power and was premier under him.• When they then found out about their own significance in procreation they seized power entirely.• How did men seize control everywhere and suppress women, keeping them ignorant and enslaved?• Republicans seized control of both houses of Congress, picking up a whopping 117 House seats along the way.• Silber will be no more successful at seizing control of education policy statewide.• After seizing power, the soldiers changed into civilian clothes and became presidents.• If the military were to seize power under Bourbollon, the clamp down would be fierce.assets ... seized• Their estates and assets were seized for the imperial treasury, and one can only speculate on the possible consequences.From Longman Business Dictionaryseizeseize /siːz/ verb [transitive]1LAWif the police or another official authority seize goods or property, they take them because they are illegal or because the owner has not paid a debtSouth Korean authorities seized 186,000 fake products in 1999.A warrant of execution allows a bailiff to seize sufficient goods to pay your debt and costs.2American EnglishFINANCELAW if the government or another authority seizes a company, it forces it to stop trading because of debts or illegal activitiesThe troubled insurance company was seized by regulators on April 11.3if you seize a chance or opportunity, you take advantage of it when it becomes availableEveryone in the organization should seize the initiative and improve their contribution.Ohio has converted its technology to seize a share of the fast-growth $200 billion polymers industry.→ See Verb tableOrigin seize (1200-1300) Old French saisir “to take possession of”, from Medieval Latin sacire 