An adverbial mimetic for turning around once; a quick single rotation or a swift turn (e.g., turning one's body or head).
彼はくるりと振り向いて笑った。
He turned around quickly and smiled.
猫がくるりと一回転して箱の中に入った。
The cat spun around once and got into the box.
ダンサーはくるりと回ってポーズを決めた。
The dancer spun once and struck a pose.
Suddenly; abruptly — used when something changes quickly or a topic/direction shifts unexpectedly.
話の流れがくるりと変わったので驚いた。
I was surprised because the course of the conversation changed suddenly.
彼の態度はくるりと変わり、急に優しくなった。
His attitude changed abruptly and he suddenly became kind.
Quickly wrapping around or unwrapping completely; a swift circular motion used for wrapping/unwrapping actions.
包みをくるりとほどいて中身を取り出した。
I quickly unwrapped the package and took out the contents.
マフラーを首にくるりと巻いた。
She wrapped the scarf around her neck with a quick turn.
Describes round, lovely eyes or a rounded, attractive facial feature (as in 'くるりとした目').
彼女はくるりとした大きな目をしている。
She has large, round, charming eyes.
子猫のくるりとした目がとても可愛い。
The kitten's round eyes are very cute.
Noun: a flail used for threshing grain (also called くるり棒). This usage is archaic/rare.
昔の農具であるくるりは、脱穀に使われた。
The old farming tool called a 'kururi' was used for threshing.