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

Young Miko is far from her home island of Puerto Rico, curled up in an oversized hoodie and tucked away in a quiet hotel room in south-central North Carolina. —Thania Garcia, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

They’re structured enough to look put-together for brunch, but flexible enough for curling up on the couch. —Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

This month, young readers can curl up with nonfiction explorations of the galaxy, thumb through an old astronomy textbook with a fresh new story to tell, or experience the peace of being (almost) alone on the moon. —Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025

One day, the script said that Marietta gets in bed, curls up with her baby dog, and is sucking her thumb. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025

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