curl up

verb

curled up; curling up; curls up

intransitive verb

: to arrange oneself in or as if in a ball or curl

curl up by the fire

curl up with a good book

Synonyms of curl up

• snuggle
• snug
• nestle

Examples of curl up in a Sentence

I love to curl up in a big chair with a book.

Recent Examples on the Web

Use this set as pajamas during the night or on a lazy Saturday when curling up with a book sounds good. — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

Already great features that had been added earlier include the Yacht Club, an observation room with big windows and coffee bar, the perfect place to curl up with a latte and views. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026

This depends on the exact type of Calabi-Yau manifolds [into which spatial dimensions might curl up]. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026

Soak in the claw-foot bathtub against a wall of stone, play pool, or curl up with a book from the stunning arched library in the living room. — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 9 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for curl up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

curl up

verb

: to arrange oneself in or as if in a curl or ball

curl up with a good book