curl up

British  

verb

1. (intr) to adopt a reclining position with the legs close to the body and the back rounded

2. to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved

3. (intr) to retire to a quiet cosy setting

   to curl up with a good novel

4. informal to be or cause to be embarrassed or disgusted (esp in the phrase curl up and die )

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curl up Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

3. 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.

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Example Sentences

Home from their adventures—and with the picture book right side up again—the four children curl up by the fireplace with steaming mugs of hot cocoa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

"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

They are curled up inside tin-lined sanctuaries somewhere in southeastern Pennsylvania, not unlike how I curl up next to the air conditioner when it’s over 90 degrees.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2025

In the depths of winter most of us want to curl up in the warm, but not Laura Truelove.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2025

“These caterpillars are by nature very timid. When they feel the slightest touch or disturbance, they curl up and stay that way until all danger is past.”

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

• cluster
• confer
• consult
• converge
• crouch
• cuddle
• gather
• snuggle