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
Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Swirling the water helps the egg white curl around the yolk and cook into a neat oval shape.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 June 2025
Essence, 19 June 2025
The 28 Days Later photocall in Paris on June 4 saw Taylor-Johnson wear his beard shaved much lower to his face, but the windy conditions of the day caused his curls to drift to-and-fro.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for curl
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Verb
The scrappy winger then curled in a cross toward the rear-center of the box.
—Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Swirling the water helps the egg white curl around the yolk and cook into a neat oval shape.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 June 2025
Noun
Now, after a year of bi-monthly root touch ups and gradual lightening, my hair remains healthy and curls are fully intact.
—Essence, 19 June 2025
The 28 Days Later photocall in Paris on June 4 saw Taylor-Johnson wear his beard shaved much lower to his face, but the windy conditions of the day caused his curls to drift to-and-fro.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 16 June 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 25 Jun. 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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