cozy up

Idioms

Try to get on friendly or intimate terms, ingratiate oneself. For example, That new woman is always cozying up to one or another club member so she'll be asked to join. [Mid-1900s]

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.

When the two cozy up together, we discover that “someone with a big heart and warm hands” is what a small cat needs most of all, even if she’d be the last to admit it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Once the seawater reaches land, the pipes carrying it cozy up to parallel pipes carrying freshwater.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024

How about retreating to your bedroom to cozy up by a fireplace?

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

Meanwhile, the United States continued to cozy up to long-time regional allies South Korea and Japan.

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2023

“So who are you going to cozy up to?”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023