seize up
Related to seize up: On a par, hold off, come in handy
seize up
To come to a sudden, unexpected stop and become immovable. I was so dehydrated that my leg seized up in the middle of the hike. The machine keeps seizing up. Have you checked the oil levels recently?
See also: seize, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
seize something up
to grab or take something. The crow seized the freshly hatched chick up and flew away. The huge bird seized up the tiny chick.
See also: seize, up
seize up
to freeze or halt; to grind suddenly to a stop. The engine seized up, and the car coasted to a stop. My knee seized up in the middle of a football game.
See also: seize, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
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.
See also: seize, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
seize up
v.
To fuse or stick together with another part and become unable to move normally, especially as a result of high pressure or temperature: The car's engine seized up due to a loss of oil.
See also: seize, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- take a hike
- run into a stone wall
- run into a brick wall
- hit a stone wall
- hit a brick wall
- beyond recall
- brick wall
- plump up
- snow in
- snowed in