seize on/upon
phrasal verb
seized on/upon; seizing on/upon; seizes on/upon
: to take or use (something, such as a chance or opportunity) in a quick and eager way
His critics have seized on the scandal to call for his resignation.
She seized on the opportunity to tell her side of the story.
Examples of seize on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Such acts could seize on the power of the primacy effect.
—
Peter Suciu, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Trump says the vice president never worked there, the latest example of his longtime strategy to seize on conspiracy theories and question the credentials of his political opponents.
—Michelle L. Price and Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
And perhaps the irrelevance of regular linear time to what our imaginations seize upon has something to do with presenting as an explanation the steps or stages of a work in progress.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Loading your audio article MINNEAPOLIS – Nick Bosa paused mid-sentence, aware that some might seize on his words as a shot at the New York Jets, who the 49ers ripped 32-19 in Monday’s season opener.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seize on/upon 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Peter Suciu, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Trump says the vice president never worked there, the latest example of his longtime strategy to seize on conspiracy theories and question the credentials of his political opponents.
—Michelle L. Price and Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
And perhaps the irrelevance of regular linear time to what our imaginations seize upon has something to do with presenting as an explanation the steps or stages of a work in progress.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Loading your audio article MINNEAPOLIS – Nick Bosa paused mid-sentence, aware that some might seize on his words as a shot at the New York Jets, who the 49ers ripped 32-19 in Monday’s season opener.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seize on/upon
Dictionary Entries Near seize on/upon
Cite this Entry
“Seize on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seize%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share