curl up
Britishverb
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(intr) to adopt a reclining position with the legs close to the body and the back rounded
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to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved
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(intr) to retire to a quiet cosy setting
to curl up with a good novel
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informal to be or cause to be embarrassed or disgusted (esp in the phrase curl up and die )
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Assume a position with the legs drawn up; settle down for sleep in this posture. For example, I love to curl up with a good book . [c. 1900]
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curl up and die . Retreat, collapse, die, as in At first the horse was ahead but in the home stretch she curled up and died , or I'll just curl up and die if he shows up . This colorful expression for collapsing or dying is often used hyperbolically (second example). [Early 1900s]
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curl someone up . Kill someone, as in The sheriff said he'd curl up that outlaw . This usage originated as cowboy slang in the second half of the 1800s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Istanbulites are animal lovers," says 57-year-old Gaye Koselerden, adding, "They can even curl up on the most expensive duvet. No one would say a word."
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
At night, when the temperature dips below zero, you can put on your softest sweater and curl up with a good book in a number of reading nooks spread across the building.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
After a long day, I find myself wishing I could curl up with French onion soup or tuck into a perfectly pink steak frites.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025
This can lead to "starballing" where starfish curl up to float with the current which can make them vulnerable to beach strandings.
From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025
At night, I’d sneak across the hall into the boys’ room, where I’d curl up and sleep next to Tevin.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.