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
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Her cigarettes stayed in the bathroom, smoke curling out the window and drifting over the neighbor’s fence.
—Jackie Charniga, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Siena Gagliano, Allure, 1 Mar. 2025
And so, the combination of the shirt ruffle and the curls, there was a lot of frills going on.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for curl
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Verb
The comedian curls the viewer into the drama of his own debasement, Limon theorized, and the relationship is christened, if the joke works, with a laughter that amalgamates the many into one.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Her cigarettes stayed in the bathroom, smoke curling out the window and drifting over the neighbor’s fence.
—Jackie Charniga, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
Instead, opt for a hydrating mist to define your curl pattern while maintaining moisture.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 1 Mar. 2025
And so, the combination of the shirt ruffle and the curls, there was a lot of frills going on.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for curl
Cite this Entry
“Curl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curl. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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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