curl up

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 )

Example Sentences

And this week, The Times is happy to be your guide to some of the most noteworthy offerings, from Oscar contenders and crowd-pleasers to holiday specials you and the family can curl up with.

From Los Angeles Times

"On my very first period I was curled up on the floor of my parents' bedroom, screaming, unable to straighten my spine," she said.

From BBC

Every so often, I would have to stop swimming and curl up into a ball to bend my spine.

From BBC

Rod Carew curls up on a family room sofa with the young woman they call “Miracle Child,” 18-year-old Michelle Carew, a leukemia victim and the youngest of Rod and Marilynn Carew’s three daughters.

From Los Angeles Times

A drug addict I knew died of exposure, curled up at the entrance to a store.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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