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
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
And what will be lost when that happens will alter curling forever.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Their living doll with her blond curls and round blue eyes.
—Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curl
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Verb
After a wild few days for curling featuring plenty of verbal jousting and a brief rule change, things have calmed down and both players and officials appear ready to move on with the medal games approaching.
—Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
And what will be lost when that happens will alter curling forever.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
Beat with a mixer on medium to high until soft peaks form (tips curl).
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Their living doll with her blond curls and round blue eyes.
—Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curl
Cite this Entry
“Curl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curl. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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