seize up

Come to a halt, as in The peace talks seized up and were not rescheduled. Originally, from about 1870 on, this term was applied to a machine of some kind that jammed or locked, owing to excessive heat or friction. Its figurative use dates from about 1950.

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Example Sentences

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By 2007, no-one knew exactly where these grenades were hidden in bank balance sheets, so they all stopped lending to each other – which saw the whole global financial system seize up.

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Her arms seize up and she struggles to raise them above her shoulders.

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Everywhere, once familiar and trusted systems seize up and crumble.

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The problems at the Panama Canal, an engineering marvel that opened in 1914 and handles an estimated 5 percent of seaborne trade, is the latest example of how crucial parts of global supply chains can suddenly seize up.

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It could even prove fatal, causing the predator’s muscles to seize up, preventing it from moving forward and pushing oxygenated water into its gills.

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seize on seizing

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