1
general::
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.
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): 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., Phrase(s): 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.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs