How to Use seize on/upon in a Sentence

seize on/upon

phrasal verb
  • Ricketts was among the first to seize on the issue in recent months.
    Thomas Beaumont, Anchorage Daily News, 7 May 2021
  • And seize on every chance to attach it to their issues.
    Michael Sokolove, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2022
  • And foreign adversaries were quick to seize on that theme.
    Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 25 June 2023
  • The district could be on the verge of another strike in 2024, a point some candidates may seize on.
    Gregory Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2023
  • The defense tried to seize on the fact that none of the Oath Keepers’ messages laid out an explicit plan to storm the Capitol.
    Michael Kunzelman and Lindsay Whitehurst, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 May 2023
  • If that’s the case, seize on Wayne’s suggestion to book a trip nearby, like Sitka, Ketchikan or Juneau.
    Author: Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2021
  • The stans will seize on any opportunity to fan these flames.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2023
  • Hacks seize on those yardsticks to chart progress or regression.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2023
  • But the groundwork and political moves before the TV hits are what put him in place to seize on that moment.
    Torey Van Oot, Axios, 6 Aug. 2024
  • When one camp overreached, others would seize on the mistake to call for a course correction.
    Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019
  • Connelly wasted no time in his Wolves tenure striking big to try and seize on that window and past it.
    Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 1 July 2022
  • Congressman Matt Gaetz once came to pay his respects (and to seize on the opportunity to connect with the base).
    Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2024
  • But Russian officials were quick to seize on Hunka's ovation as proof of the far-right leanings of Ukraine and its backers.
    Alexander Smith, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2023
  • Alicent, then, has every reason to seize on the rumors.
    Brendan Morrow, The Week, 25 Sep. 2022
  • Still, the Biden administration has been happy to seize on some moments to step in when China has stepped back.
    Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
  • Apple may well have been trying to seize on the trend of hydraulic press videos, which have become popular in recent years.
    Anna Gordon, TIME, 9 May 2024
  • Democrats and Republicans like Christie were quick to seize upon her response.
    Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2024
  • Independent operators can seize on the fresh catch of the day to offer the latest palate-pleasing dishes at the spur of the moment.
    Robin Gagnon, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023
  • House Democrats tried to seize on Republicans' absence even though Biden is also getting out of town.
    Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023
  • In a familiar pattern, people subjected to pejorative terms can seize on them and flaunt them as a badge of pride.
    John McIntyre, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2023
  • In the run-up to the election, politicians are going to seize on whichever economic narrative puts their agenda in the most favorable light.
    Allison Morrow, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024
  • The trick might be to seize on the opportunity, while home prices are unusually high and the market unusually tight, to sell.
    Heard Editors, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2023
  • If the Dolphins retain Jones, new coordinator Anthony Weaver needs to seize on that skill more than three times in a season.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2024
  • In his class, some students work in groups where one is the creator and the others help by spotting trends to seize on, making adjustments to lighting and clothing, and editing video and audio.
    Kailyn Rhone, WSJ, 28 Mar. 2023
  • The Chinese government is likely to seize on Lai’s trip to stage a show of military force near Taiwan, several experts said.
    Chris Buckley, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
  • Jamaica will mark 60 years of independence from Britain in August this year but there are some in the country who are hoping to seize on the moment to transition to a republic.
    Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Max Foster, CNN, 23 Mar. 2022
  • DeSantis’s opponents were quick to seize on the debacle.
    Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, 24 May 2023
  • China’s state media was quick to seize on the apparent contrast between the two CEO’s experiences.
    Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The company expects consumers to seize on these deals, and spend aggressively even as concerns about rising costs and the health of the economy continue to linger.
    Matt Egan, CNN, 5 Oct. 2023
  • The world still regards Uber with a measure of suspicion—journalists seize on every instance of Uber rides gone wrong or drivers struggling to make a good living.
    WIRED, 1 Aug. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seize on/upon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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