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.

He will cup his ear to the crowd, urging them to make more noise, drawing them in all the time.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

Sometimes one will cup a hand to her mouth when something like price or money is discussed so nobody can read her lips.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2013

If such a case-hardened stick of wood be resawed, the two halves will cup from the internal tension and external compression, with the concave surface inward.

From The Mechanical Properties of Wood Including a Discussion of the Factors Affecting the Mechanical Properties, and Methods of Timber Testing by Record, Samuel J.