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

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

One was trying to cozy up to the other. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026

Jupiter will hang out in the nighttime sky until summer and cozy up to the even-brighter planet Venus June 6-11. —Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2025

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