seize on

quickly use something (an idea, a mistake, a piece of news) for your own benefit

C1

What does "seize on sth" mean?

To seize on something is to take it quickly and use it to your advantage, often in a calculated or aggressive way. The person doing the seizing is typically an opponent, critic, or rival who has been waiting for an opening — a slip of the tongue, a damaging report, a leaked document — and exploits it the moment it appears. There is a distinctly predatory edge to this verb: it implies not just noticing something useful but pouncing on it strategically to gain leverage or discredit someone else. You will encounter it most often in political journalism and news commentary, where opposition parties, lawyers, and critics routinely seize on the mistakes or revelations that work in their favour. The variant 'seize upon' means exactly the same thing and carries a slightly more literary or formal tone.

Examples

How to use it

subject + seize on + noun phrase

The most common pattern: an adversary or critic exploits a remark, gaffe, document, or event for strategic purposes.

Rival lawyers seized on the inconsistency in the witness's testimony to cast doubt on the prosecution's case.

subject + seize on + pronoun (it / this / that / them)

When the object has already been mentioned, a pronoun replaces it — always placed after 'on', never between 'seize' and 'on'.

The opposition found one ambiguous sentence in the budget report and seized on it immediately.

subject + have + seized on + noun phrase

The present perfect is common in journalism and commentary to describe exploitation that has recently occurred and remains relevant.

Critics have seized on the CEO's offhand remarks as proof that the company knew about the risks all along.

subject + seize upon + noun phrase

'Seize upon' is an accepted variant with the same meaning, used more often in formal or literary writing.

Political commentators seized upon the gaffe as a turning point in the campaign.

tendency / quick / eager + to seize on + noun phrase

The infinitive form appears frequently after nouns and adjectives that describe a characteristic behaviour, such as a tendency or eagerness to exploit.

The party has a well-known tendency to seize on any sign of weakness in its opponents.

Common Collocations

seize on a remarkseize on a gaffeseize on evidenceseize on a scandalseize on an opportunityseize on a contradiction

Common Mistakes

Trying to separate the verb and particle

This phrasal verb is inseparable, so the object must always come after 'on'. Placing anything between 'seize' and 'on' produces an ungrammatical sentence.

✗ The press seized the minister's gaffe on immediately.
✓ The press seized on the minister's gaffe immediately.
Using the present continuous

'Seize on' focuses on a decisive, momentary act of opportunism and sounds unnatural in the present continuous. Use the simple past, present perfect, or simple present instead.

✗ Journalists are seizing on the story as we speak.
✓ Journalists have seized on the story as it has emerged.
Confusing 'seize on' with 'jump on'

'Jump on' is more informal and typically implies quick public criticism of a person; 'seize on' is formal and emphasises the strategic exploitation of information, a remark, or an event. They are not always interchangeable in tone.

✗ The broadsheet editorial jumped on the leaked memo to question the minister's credibility.
✓ The broadsheet editorial seized on the leaked memo to question the minister's credibility.

Usage

This phrasal verb is formal and appears mostly in written journalism and political commentary. 'Seize upon' is an equally correct and slightly more literary variant you will see in formal writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'seize on' always suggest something negative or dishonest?

Not dishonest exactly, but it does carry a connotation of opportunism — someone exploiting a situation for their own benefit, often at another person's expense. The subject is almost always an adversary or critic, so even when the exploitation is justified (a genuine scandal, a real contradiction), the verb still implies a certain strategic aggression.

Can 'seize on' be used in the passive, like 'the remark was seized on'?

Grammatically it is possible, but in practice it is rare and tends to sound awkward. Because the verb places so much emphasis on the eager, deliberate agency of the subject, native speakers almost always keep the exploiting party as the grammatical subject rather than turning the object into a passive subject.

Is 'seize on' only used in journalism, or can I use it in everyday conversation?

It is predominantly a written, formal expression found in political reporting, legal contexts, and critical commentary. While an educated speaker might use it in conversation, it would sound quite formal. In everyday speech, you would more naturally say someone 'jumped on' or 'made the most of' something.

What kinds of things can you 'seize on'? Can it be a physical object?

No — in this sense, 'seize on' always takes an abstract or informational object: a remark, a gaffe, a leaked document, a contradiction, a piece of evidence, or an event. The physical sense of 'seize' (meaning to grab or take hold of something) is a completely different use and does not involve the particle 'on'.

Is 'seize upon' the same as 'seize on'?

'Seize upon' means exactly the same thing and is equally correct. It tends to appear slightly more often in formal or literary prose, while 'seize on' is the more common form in contemporary journalism. Either choice is appropriate at C1 level.

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