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
Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2026
Isaiah Evans slipped trying to curl to the rim and Solo Ball scooped up the ball, racing toward the basket, chased by the likely player of the year, Cam Boozer.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
The new Strawberry Shortcake Kringle, inspired by the classic treat of the same name, features sweet cookie pieces and a special O&H signature made-from-scratch filling, topped with buttery streusel, sweet ice and pink chocolate curls.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curl
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Verb
Her father was seated on a chair with one foot tucked under him, and her mother was sitting on the sofa with both feet curled under her.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2026
Isaiah Evans slipped trying to curl to the rim and Solo Ball scooped up the ball, racing toward the basket, chased by the likely player of the year, Cam Boozer.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Nakamura, who works almost exclusively in his native Japan, smooths over those divisions, creating reverent, porous structures that open to the landscape or curl in on themselves in repose.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
The new Strawberry Shortcake Kringle, inspired by the classic treat of the same name, features sweet cookie pieces and a special O&H signature made-from-scratch filling, topped with buttery streusel, sweet ice and pink chocolate curls.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 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 3 Apr. 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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