Meaning & use
cuddle up
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Meanings
verbphrasal verb
To settle into a position very close to someone or something, usually for warmth, comfort or affection.
Grammar: No object; often followed by to, with or against: cuddle up to your dad.
Patterns
- cuddle up to someone
- cuddle up with someone
- cuddle up in something
The kids cuddled up to their grandmother while she read the story.
On cold nights the dog likes to cuddle up with us on the sofa.
We cuddled up under a blanket to watch the film.
verbphrasal verb
To curl your body into a snug, comfortable position, often in a chair or bed with a book or a warm drink.
Grammar: Often reflexive in meaning without the pronoun: she cuddled up in the armchair.
Patterns
- cuddle up in something
- cuddle up with something
I want to cuddle up with a good book this weekend.
He cuddled up in the corner of the couch and fell asleep.
Let's cuddle up by the fire and drink hot chocolate.
Word forms
| third person singular | cuddles up |
|---|---|
| past tense | cuddled up |
| past participle | cuddled up |
| -ing form | cuddling up |
Common combinations
- cuddle up to someone
- The puppy cuddled up to the little girl.
- cuddle up together
- The twins cuddled up together in the same bed.
- cuddle up under a blanket
- They cuddled up under a blanket during the storm.
- cuddle up on the sofa
- We cuddled up on the sofa with popcorn.
- cuddle up close
- She cuddled up close to keep warm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- snuggle up
- Snuggle up is almost identical but stresses the cozy, nestled feeling more than the act of holding someone.
- nestle
- Nestle suggests fitting snugly into a small space and is slightly more literary than cuddle up.
- curl up
- Curl up focuses on the shape of your own body and does not require another person to be involved.
- huddle
- Huddle is used for a group pressing together, often for warmth or fear, and is less affectionate.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: cuddle up or cuddle up to?
cuddle up vs cuddle up to
Cuddle up to someone can mean literally getting close, but it can also mean trying to win favor with a powerful person, which cuddle up alone does not mean.
Practice
It was freezing, so the children ___ under a blanket on the sofa.
Choose one answer.
Cuddle up is the phrasal verb for getting snug and close. The other options are not natural combinations with cuddle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cuddle up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.