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

Participles

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

But businesses are not passively watching this unfold.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Evans’s art didn’t change, but its environments did—proof that curatorial framing shapes perception, and that her universe, like any living cosmology, continues to unfold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

An estimated 500 people showed up to watch the contest unfold.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning seemed to fear the worst while watching the situation unfold live on their alternative broadcast of the game on ESPN2.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

I’m outside my body, watching the chaos unfold as if I’m not in the middle of it.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

In past technological cycles, it’s made more sense for “market leadership” to transition from one sector to another as a trend unfolds, they added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

The story unfolds into a humorous and poignant satire that makes sharp observations about the state of modern masculinity and creative life.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Over the next hour and a half, the negotiation unfolds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

As the chaos unfolds, Greengrass doesn’t pontificate on the morality of these events and, in fact, maintains a rather neutral stance on them for most of the film, withholding judgment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

He unfolds his arms and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

If a lot of this sounds familiar, that’s because it all unfolded in the New York tabloids and has been widely reported in sports books, magazines and documentaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Hochul slammed how the initial investigation into the complainant's claims unfolded at Cornell, which is located in Ithaca in central New York state.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Online video footage shot from the stands shows that the man was standing in front of his seat as the play unfolded.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

On Sunday morning, the world was watching as drama unfolded in the village of Whelford.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

She unfolded it and beheld the words It’s your fault.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

As for Naicker, there was no hesitation in airing what his team had captured, even with the realisation of the magnitude of what was unfolding.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

In this case, the first sign is unfolding inside the hollow stems of tropical plants, where a partnership that has lasted millions of years may be starting to come apart.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

The film takes its time in unfolding its mysteries, yet it charts every moment with an unsettling psychological realism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Then there’s Cruise’s nearly unrecognizable performance as Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil tycoon whose drilling operations have led to the unfolding climate disaster.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

According to Axe and Plouffe, who were buzzing in and out of the room, announcing what felt like every sliver of information they received, everything was unfolding as predicted.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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