Phrasal verb
cozy up
Definition
phrasal verb. to move close to someone to get warm or show affection; it also means being extra nice to someone to get a favor.
phrasal verb. to move into a position of physical closeness for comfort; figuratively, to ingratiate oneself with someone for personal gain or social advantage.
Examples
“The cat likes to cozy up to me on the sofa.”
“He tried to cozy up to the boss right before the yearly promotions were announced.”
“While the lobbyists attempted to cozy up to the new ministers, the public remained skeptical of their sudden displays of friendship.”
Examples
simple
“The cat likes to cozy up to me on the sofa.”
contextual
“He tried to cozy up to the boss right before the yearly promotions were announced.”
complex
“While the lobbyists attempted to cozy up to the new ministers, the public remained skeptical of their sudden displays of friendship.”
Usage
usually followed by the preposition 'to' and a person or a comfortable object.
Teaching tip
highlight the shift from the literal physical sense (warmth/comfort) to the metaphorical social sense (manipulation/flattery).
Pitfall
He cozied up with the manager.
He cozied up to the manager.
the standard preposition following this phrasal verb is 'to' when referring to the person being approached.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
cozy + up + to + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cozy-up