unfold
Americanverb (used with object)
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unfolds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unfolded,
past participle, past
-
unfolding
present participle
-
to bring out of a folded state; spread or open out.
Unfold your arms.
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to spread out or lay open to view.
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to reveal or display.
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to reveal or disclose in words, especially by careful or systematic exposition; set forth; explain.
verb (used without object)
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unfolds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unfolded,
past participle, past
-
unfolding
present participle
-
to become unfolded; open.
-
to develop.
-
to become clear, apparent, or known.
The protagonist's character unfolds as the story reaches its climax.
verb
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to open or spread out or be opened or spread out from a folded state
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to reveal or be revealed
the truth unfolds
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to develop or expand or be developed or expanded
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unfoldsimple
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unfoldssimple
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have unfoldedperfect
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has unfoldedperfect
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am unfoldingprogressive
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are unfoldingprogressive
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is unfoldingprogressive
-
have been unfoldingperfect progressive
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has been unfoldingperfect progressive
Past
-
unfoldedsimple
-
had unfoldedperfect
-
was unfoldingprogressive
-
were unfoldingprogressive
-
had been unfoldingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unfold
before 900; Middle English unfolden, Old English unfealdan; cognate with German entfalten. See un- 2, fold 1
Explanation
To unfold is to open or reveal, the way a small square of paper might unfold into a large map, or the way the plot of a mystery novel can unfold into a clear picture of who the killer is. Anything that's folded or compacted unfolds as it opens up and stretches out. So a yoga teacher might curl into a tight ball and then unfold his limbs, stretching them wide. Or you might unfold a tightly sealed secret note or a gently creased letter from your grandparents. Information can unfold figuratively, too, or become more open and clear: "As the details of the crime began to unfold, the detective got ready to make an arrest."
Vocabulary lists containing unfold
"Play Ball!"
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Super-long-zone investors are likely to remain cautious as details of the next fiscal year’s budget are expected to unfold, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Fatima explains how the raids unfold: "You could have 100 motorcycles, and each one could be carrying three people."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Researchers can adjust factors such as gravity, density, and material strength to see how different types of impacts unfold.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
“It was really neat to see it unfold because he sent an initial list and we were like, ‘Wow, this is great,’ ” LeMaire says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Praise be to God-—that a day could unfold with surprise invitations.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
This all unfolds next to four or so men casting their fishing rods into the increasingly choppy waters.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Not lost among the novel’s schemes and counterschemes is the Swifts’ dry repartee, which unfolds in a lively patter even during the more-somber moments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
John’s, however, unfolds over the course of his childhood, when he is most impressionable, beginning on his fifth birthday.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
I’m curious to see how her legacy unfolds, how the storyline of her child ends up.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Volkheimer unfolds a blanket and wraps it around Werner’s shoulders.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
All this unfolded this week as some of the first mail ballots of the election cycle started going out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Puerto Rico typically enters its wet season in May, but 2026 has unfolded very differently.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Events unfolded as Everton's most creative player Iliman Ndiaye was completing his £65m move to Manchester City.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
But a similar process unfolded in Australia and New Zealand, too far away for Americans to feel any investment.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Now that he had Sheed’s attention, Otto unfolded the offensive newspaper for his cousin to see.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
Garreaud pointed to the strengthening El Niño as an important backdrop to the unusually wet winter unfolding across north-central Chile.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
I started hearing an exciting tale of a life still unfolding, full of possibilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
He said the disaster was still unfolding in an ecosystem where one disaster could trigger "a range of cascading hazards".
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Below is MarketWatch’s full coverage of this unfolding set of policy moves and how they might affect the dollar, federal spending and the economy:
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
I drop my rucksack and take out the book, unfolding the map from inside the front cover.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
