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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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

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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:

unfold unfolds unfolded unfolding

The investments are expected to unfold over a number of years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

"Adults are more aware of how events can unfold."

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Senior lineman Lucas Rhoa got to watch this all unfold from the sidelines, and he was truly in awe after the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 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

Vanessa’s other friends, twins Amanda and Katie, moved swiftly to unfold a table and drape a green cloth over it.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

The Aussie-yen pair would probably be one of the major casualties if an unwind unfolds, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

There unfolds a somewhat Wodehousian investigation involving undercover spies and scheming holdovers from Oswald Mosley’s disgraced fascist party.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

This all unfolds next to four or so men casting their fishing rods into the increasingly choppy waters.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 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

Bando unfolds his collapsible fishing rod, and I gather cattail tubers and catch a mess of frogs for dinner.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Our favorite games unfolded beneath the dining table; at times, we transformed it into a bus, traveling to unfamiliar places, as we took turns playing different roles: the driver, the passenger, and the ticket officer.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

Found alongside Peglar's seaman's certificate, they contain poetry as well as what appear to be descriptions of events that unfolded during the expedition.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

But Sanchez on Wednesday said on X that with the information available "no one could have foreseen the migration crisis that unfolded".

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

The decadelong dispute between AI-tech mogul Chey Tae-won and his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong has unfolded like a K-drama—with money, romance, corruption and betrayal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Mr. Whipple and his assistant superintendent set aside their overcoats and unfolded forms they meant to fill out.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

"What is probably the main battle of this year and the next is now unfolding."

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Three doctors treat war casualties while speaking forcefully — and fearlessly — about the human tragedy unfolding on the ground with no end in sight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

"Not one rescue, but multiple potential rescues, unfolding at the same time, in different places, each with its own dangers, uncertainties, and lives that may still be saved."

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

When it comes to diesel-burning trucks, the shift is earlier-stage, but unfolding startlingly fast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Ma carried the bundle to the desk and started unfolding the coverlet she’d been working on.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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