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 body-building exercise in which a weight held with the palms facing up is raised and lowered by flexing only the wrists or elbows
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023
Moving only at the elbow, curl your hand towards your shoulder.
—Cori Ritchey, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023
Coanda curling barrels, oval brush, paddle brush, concentrator, diffuser | Heat settings: 4 | Speed settings: 3 | Cord length: 8 ft.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch — and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023
James Johnson’s lips curled into a resolute half-smile partially covered by his salt-and-pepper mustache.
—Brandi Kellam and Louis Hansen, Virginia Center For Investigative Journalism At Whro, Essence, 5 Sep. 2023
In the 50th minute, Monaghan curled a shot toward goal that narrowly missed the frame.
—oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023
To avoid overcooking the oysters, remove the soup from the hot burner as soon as the edges curl.
50 of 55
Shrimp Salad Rolls
Shrimp only takes a couple of minutes to cook once your water is boiling.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2023
Avoid excessive downward brushing, as baby hairs are intended to be relatively short, curled, and positioned directly beneath your hairline.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 24 Aug. 2023
Gabi Thorne, Allure, 29 Sep. 2023
This Week to hear more interesting facts about the evolution of curls and coils.
—Liz Clayton Fuller, Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023
The curls lasted all day long and there was a nice variety with the types of curls that were produced.
—Enjanae' Taylor, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023
Sydney Sweeney is making a serious case for the return of disco curls.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2023
Her loose curls were pulled back into a half-updo that featured a fishtail braid at the roots.
—Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
The wedding looked intimate and Elise wore a stunning gown with her hair pinned up in curls.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 11 Sep. 2023
As for her glam, Kate wore her hair in casually glamorous curls.
—Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Sep. 2023
Type 4 curls can shrink when dried, so to determine if this is your curl pattern, give it a closer look when hair is wet and dried.
—Sabina Wizemann, Good Housekeeping, 8 Sep. 2023
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Verb
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch—and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023
Moving only at the elbow, curl your hand towards your shoulder.
—Cori Ritchey, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023
Coanda curling barrels, oval brush, paddle brush, concentrator, diffuser | Heat settings: 4 | Speed settings: 3 | Cord length: 8 ft.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
Every so often, their legs curl and their spinnerets twitch — and the retinas of their eyes, visible through their translucent exoskeletons, shift back and forth.
—Carolyn Wilke, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023
James Johnson’s lips curled into a resolute half-smile partially covered by his salt-and-pepper mustache.
—Brandi Kellam and Louis Hansen, Virginia Center For Investigative Journalism At Whro, Essence, 5 Sep. 2023
In the 50th minute, Monaghan curled a shot toward goal that narrowly missed the frame.
—oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023
To avoid overcooking the oysters, remove the soup from the hot burner as soon as the edges curl.
50 of 55
Shrimp Salad Rolls
Shrimp only takes a couple of minutes to cook once your water is boiling.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2023
Avoid excessive downward brushing, as baby hairs are intended to be relatively short, curled, and positioned directly beneath your hairline.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 24 Aug. 2023
Noun
Her curls surrounded her and fell all the way down to her waist.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 29 Sep. 2023
This Week to hear more interesting facts about the evolution of curls and coils.
—Liz Clayton Fuller, Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023
The curls lasted all day long and there was a nice variety with the types of curls that were produced.
—Enjanae' Taylor, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023
Sydney Sweeney is making a serious case for the return of disco curls.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2023
Her loose curls were pulled back into a half-updo that featured a fishtail braid at the roots.
—Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
The wedding looked intimate and Elise wore a stunning gown with her hair pinned up in curls.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 11 Sep. 2023
As for her glam, Kate wore her hair in casually glamorous curls.
—Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Sep. 2023
Type 4 curls can shrink when dried, so to determine if this is your curl pattern, give it a closer look when hair is wet and dried.
—Sabina Wizemann, Good Housekeeping, 8 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from crul curly, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German krol curly
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of curl was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing curl
Dictionary Entries Near curl
Cite this Entry
“Curl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curl. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on curl
Nglish: Translation of curl for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of curl for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about curl
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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