cozy up

verb

cozied up; cozying up; cozies up

intransitive verb

: to attain or try to attain familiarity, friendship, or intimacy : ingratiate oneself

cozying up to the boss

Examples of cozy up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For one, Amazon spent about $40 million to license the film in a deal widely seen as a move to cozy up to the White House. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026

Nothing is worse than trying to cozy up on the sofa, but you’re being blinded by a sterile operating table glow. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026

Wander around the quaint cobblestone streets of historic Tribeca before heading back to cozy up on a red banquette in the brasserie with a bowl of French onion soup. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2026

Avoiding the overhead light at all costs in favor of ambient lighting is one of our favorite ways to cozy up a room, and the Funistree Candle Warmer Lamp is a fun way to utilize the candles that inevitably accumulate during the holidays, plus, there’s no flame! —Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cozy up

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