Meaning & use
snuggle up
Last updated
UK/ˈsnʌɡ.əl ʌp/
US/ˈsnʌɡ.əl ʌp/
Meaning
verbphrasal verb
To settle yourself in a snug, warm position, often close to another person, for comfort.
Grammar: No object; often followed by to or with: snuggle up to someone.
Patterns
- snuggle up to someone
- snuggle up with someone
- snuggle up in something
The kids snuggled up on the sofa to watch a movie.
She snuggled up to her dad during the story.
We snuggled up in blankets by the fire.
Word forms
| third person singular | snuggles up |
|---|---|
| past tense | snuggled up |
| past participle | snuggled up |
| -ing form | snuggling up |
Common combinations
- snuggle up to someone
- The cat snuggled up to me on the couch.
- snuggle up with a book
- I love to snuggle up with a book on rainy days.
- snuggle up in bed
- They snuggled up in bed with hot chocolate.
- snuggle up under a blanket
- Snuggle up under a blanket and stay warm.
- snuggle up by the fire
- We snuggled up by the fire.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cuddle up
- Nearly the same, but cuddle usually involves holding someone in your arms, while snuggle emphasizes cozy warmth.
- curl up
- Focuses on how you fold your body, not on closeness to another person.
- nestle
- A slightly more literary word suggesting you fit snugly into a space.
Opposites
move away
Word family
Commonly confused: snuggle up or snuggle down?
snuggle up vs snuggle down
Snuggle down means to get comfortable in bed or a nest, while snuggle up often stresses closeness to someone.
Practice
On a cold evening, the children ___ under a blanket and watched a film.
Choose one answer.
Snuggled up means settled in a cozy way. The other phrasal verbs do not describe comfort under a blanket.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “snuggle up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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