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
Synonyms
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
Jackie Gutierrez, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
But instead of the ends of the hair curling in, Gomez's hair is styled outward.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2024
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024
While the actress appeared in CR Fashion Book with curls in September, her look when hitting the carpet is typically wearing her hair straight or in a chic updo.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for curl 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
In the second half, rookie forward Avery Patterson cut the ball past Bay’s backline and curled the ball to find the back of the net to rest the game to a 2-2 standstill.
—Jackie Gutierrez, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
But instead of the ends of the hair curling in, Gomez's hair is styled outward.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
While her curls are all-natural, the fringe around Palmers’ eyes has a little boost from something faux.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024
While the actress appeared in CR Fashion Book with curls in September, her look when hitting the carpet is typically wearing her hair straight or in a chic updo.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for curl
Dictionary Entries Near curl
Cite this Entry
“Curl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curl. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share