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
His political survival depends on the very extremists who will seize on this moment to push their agenda further.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Zoom in: Congressional Democrats are trying to seize on Trump's spending threats to galvanize their party.
—Hans Nichols, Axios, 3 Feb. 2025
And plenty of providers — many of them operating in countries with regulations less stringent than those in the United States — are willing to seize on that desperation.
—John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
And Chinese leaders have been keen to seize on the opportunity to soften Trump’s hardline.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for seize on/upon 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Zoom in: Congressional Democrats are trying to seize on Trump's spending threats to galvanize their party.
—Hans Nichols, Axios, 3 Feb. 2025
And plenty of providers — many of them operating in countries with regulations less stringent than those in the United States — are willing to seize on that desperation.
—John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
And Chinese leaders have been keen to seize on the opportunity to soften Trump’s hardline.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
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 9 Feb. 2025.
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