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.
-
to reveal or display.
-
to reveal or disclose in words, especially by careful or systematic exposition; set forth; explain.
verb (used without object)
-
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
-
to open or spread out or be opened or spread out from a folded state
-
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
-
have unfoldedperfect
-
has unfoldedperfect
-
am unfoldingprogressive
-
are unfoldingprogressive
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is unfoldingprogressive
-
have been unfoldingperfect progressive
-
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:
I’ve spent more than 20 years studying how modern careers really unfold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
It began to unfold decades ago, well before Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the “end of history.”
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
Sat next to him at Old Trafford to watch the Bournemouth debacle unfold was chief executive Omar Berrada, who worked with Wilcox at Manchester City.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
The departures unfold as CNN insiders consider their future under Skydance, which absorbed the network as part of its $111-billion merger with Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
They all watched Mr. Jacobs unfold the yellow notice he held in his hand.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Longlisted for the 2026 National Book Award in fiction, Maksik’s new novel, “Passengers,” unfolds within the airport’s sprawling concourses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The movie’s narrative turns are so self-contained that you could know every beat of the film and still be flabbergasted by how it all unfolds.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
The essay unfolds as a tent revival for the already converted, with the writers Wes Jackson, Scott Russell Sanders and Robert B. Weeden raising their hands to affirm and extend Berry’s thesis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
During typical aging, the brain's gradual shift away from relying heavily on the hippocampus and toward greater involvement of the frontal cortex generally unfolds between the fifth and seventh decades of life.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Pecola unfolds her fist, showing the three pennies.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
A similar story has unfolded across Nepal's western border in India's Uttarakhand state, where maximum tourism limits and environmental regulations have been bypassed in the name of economic growth, claims activist Anoop Nautiyal.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
How this tragedy unfolded is at the heart of “The Girl in Blue,” Doreen Carvajal’s poignant book about “La Petite Irène” and the family destroyed by it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Because the process continued over a much longer period, scientists could examine the biological changes as they unfolded rather than observing only the final result.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
The demo shown to journalists, covering the opening hour and a later section of the adventure, unfolded much as it did in the 1998 original.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Now that she’d stepped through the archway opening, the Night Bazaar truly unfolded around her.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Outside the perimeter fence, daily life bears little resemblance to the military activity unfolding inside.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Mr. Mattei’s velvety baritone brings rawness, lyricism, and even a bit of falsetto to the unfolding of Lincoln’s pain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
When he heard the chaos unfolding outside, he rushed to help, pinning down the suspect.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Just as the organizers had hoped, the demonstration caught the attention of users on X and other social-media platforms, where some contrasted the relatively tame demonstration with the more chaotic protests unfolding in Europe.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
“Here’s something you might consider,” I said, unfolding the advertisement and smoothing down the creases.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
