curled; curling; curls
1
: to form into coils or ringlets
curl one's hair
2
: to form into a curved shape : twist
curled his lip in a sneer
3
: to furnish with curls
1
: a lock of hair that coils : ringlet
2
: something having a spiral or winding form : coil
4
: a curved or spiral marking in the grain of wood
5
: a hollow arch of water formed when the crest of a breaking wave spills forward
6
: a usually short pass pattern in football in which a receiver runs downfield and then curves back toward the line of scrimmage
7
: a weight training exercise in which a weight (see weight entry 1 sense 2b) held in the hand with the palm facing up is raised and lowered by flexing only the wrist or elbow see also preacher curl
Examples of curl in a Sentence
Verb
She curls her hair every morning.
Can you curl your tongue?
The baby's fingers were tightly curled.
The snake curled itself around its prey.
The cat curled into a ball and went to sleep.
We saw smoke curling from the cottage chimney.
A snake curled around his leg.
Noun
Her daughter has cute blonde curls.
She likes to wear her hair in curls.
The conditioner will help you keep the curl of your hair.
His hair has a natural curl.
He did 12 wrist curls.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Her hair was curled into subtle Old Hollywood waves by Rena Calhoun using products from Hair Rituel by Sisley Paris and tools from Mane.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The photo showed the Jewish symbol of the Star of David on Bouchard's forehead, the sheriff with Hasidic curls on the side of his head, and a religious cap.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curl
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Verb
In that split second Mara peeled to his right, curling around Avila for the easy lay in.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Her hair was curled into subtle Old Hollywood waves by Rena Calhoun using products from Hair Rituel by Sisley Paris and tools from Mane.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
This curling iron delivers long-lasting curls and waves and offers 30 heat levels with Turbo Heat Boost for effective styling on long and medium hair.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The photo showed the Jewish symbol of the Star of David on Bouchard's forehead, the sheriff with Hasidic curls on the side of his head, and a religious cap.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curl
Cite this Entry
“Curl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curl. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curl
1 of 2 verb1
: to form into or grow in coils or ringlets
curled her hair
2
: to take or move in a curved form
smoke curling from the chimney
Biographical Definition
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