diff --git a/reference/curl/examples.xml b/reference/curl/examples.xml
index 71d6f7847110..538211210454 100644
--- a/reference/curl/examples.xml
+++ b/reference/curl/examples.xml
@@ -4,17 +4,80 @@
 <chapter xml:id="curl.examples" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <section xml:id="curl.examples-basic">
-  <title>Basic curl example</title>
+  <title>Basic curl examples</title>
   <para>
    Once you've compiled PHP with cURL support, you can begin using
    the cURL functions. The basic idea behind the cURL functions is
    that you initialize a cURL session using the
    <function>curl_init</function>, then you can set all your
    options for the transfer via the <function>curl_setopt</function>,
-   then you can execute the session with the 
-   <function>curl_exec</function> and then you finish off 
-   your session using the <function>curl_close</function>. 
-   Here is an example that uses the cURL functions to fetch the 
+   and then send the request with the <function>curl_exec</function>.
+  </para>
+  <para>
+   Here is a simple example that uses the cURL functions to send
+   a POST request:
+   <example>
+    <title>Using PHP's cURL module to send a POST request</title>
+    <programlisting role="php">
+<![CDATA[
+<?php
+$data = ['foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => 48];
+$url = "http://www.example.com/handler.php";
+
+$ch = curl_init($url);
+
+// tell CURL to return the response instead of sending it to stdout
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
+
+// set the POST data, corresponding method and headers
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($data));
+
+// send the request and get the response
+$response = curl_exec($ch);
+
+if(curl_error($ch)) {
+    // handle the error, or just
+    throw new RuntimeException(curl_error($ch));
+}
+]]>
+    </programlisting>
+   </example>
+  </para>
+  <para>
+   Another example that uses the cURL functions to send a raw JSON
+   POST request:
+   <example>
+    <title>Using PHP's cURL module to send a JSON POST request</title>
+    <programlisting role="php">
+<![CDATA[
+<?php
+$post_data = ['foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => 48];
+$url = "http://www.example.com/api/endpoint";
+
+$ch = curl_init($url);
+
+// tell CURL to return the response instead of sending it to stdout
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
+
+// set the POST data and corresponding method
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($post_data));
+
+// set the required header
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, ['Content-Type: application/json']);
+
+// send the request and get the response
+$response = curl_exec($ch);
+
+if(curl_error($ch)) {
+    // handle the error, or just
+    throw new RuntimeException(curl_error($ch));
+}
+]]>
+    </programlisting>
+   </example>
+  </para>
+  <para>
+   Here is another example that uses the cURL functions to fetch the
    example.com homepage into a file:
    <example>
     <title>Using PHP's cURL module to fetch the example.com homepage</title>
@@ -32,9 +95,7 @@ curl_exec($ch);
 if(curl_error($ch)) {
     fwrite($fp, curl_error($ch));
 }
-curl_close($ch);
 fclose($fp);
-?>
 ]]>
     </programlisting>
    </example>