Synonyms

unfold

American

[uhn-fohld] / ʌnˈfoʊld /

verb (used with object)

to bring out of a folded state; spread or open out.

Unfold your arms.
to spread out or lay open to view.
to reveal or display.
to reveal or disclose in words, especially by careful or systematic exposition; set forth; explain.

verb (used without object)

to become unfolded; open.
to develop.
to become clear, apparent, or known.

The protagonist's character unfolds as the story reaches its climax.

unfold British

/ ʌnˈfəʊld /

verb

to open or spread out or be opened or spread out from a folded state
to reveal or be revealed

the truth unfolds
to develop or expand or be developed or expanded

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unfoldable adjective
unfolder noun
unfoldment noun

Etymology

Origin of unfold

before 900; Middle English unfolden, Old English unfealdan; cognate with German entfalten. See un- ², fold ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Still, it isn’t clear how the drama in private credit will unfold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Many corrective phases unfold gradually, over time rather than immediately in price.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

He’s worried about where this all goes, not just strategically, but in the way people who’ve watched these things unfold before get worried.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

The Bank's governor, Andrew Bailey, told the BBC last week that rate-setters would "assess how events unfold".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

I unfold the paper and immediately recognize Erin’s handwriting.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023