curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkər-dᵊl 

curdled; curdling

ˈkərd-liŋ, 

ˈkər-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to form curds

also : to congeal as if by forming curds

a scream curdled in her throat

2

: to go bad or wrong : spoil

transitive verb

1

: to cause curds to form in

curdled milk

2

: spoil, sour

Examples of curdle in a Sentence

Too much heat will make the custard curdle.

Too much heat will curdle the custard.

Recent Examples on the Web

Step 3 Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine before adding the next one (batter may look curdled at this point). — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026

Ever since Universal began testing the ride in June, Disney has been subjected to a cacophony of blood-curdling screams from his home. — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

But its cultural dominance became bound up in a widespread vilification of Drake that curdled online, where the most damning interpretation of anything could quickly become the accepted one. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

The doc is similarly unflinching in showing the horrific scene from 1900 in which Donald Sutherland’s sadistic fascist murders a young boy in a shockingly callous way, while Laura Betti as his equal in cruelty dissolves into blood-curdling cackles. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

metathetic variant of cruddle, crudle, frequentative of crud entry 2

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing curdle

• make someone's blood curdle

Rhymes for curdle

• girdle
• hurdle

Kids Definition

curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkərd-ᵊl 

curdled; curdling ˈkərd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to form curds

2

: to cause curds to form in

high heat curdled the custard

3

—used in expressions such as make one's blood curdle to indicate a feeling of terror

a ghost story that will make your blood curdle