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

These orbitals contain valuable information about how a molecule behaves and interacts with its environment, including how it absorbs light and how chemical reactions may unfold.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

Watching these changes unfold in Hong Kong has felt strangely familiar to a man we are calling K, in his 30s from Sichuan.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

I’m a believer that politics is usually more like Veep than House of Cards; even world-changing events more often unfold by accident or luck than by design.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

This raises all sorts of questions about how progress will unfold in other fields as they are transformed by AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Here was a chance to see a real international crisis unfold as it happened—and from the inside.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

I’m curious to see how her legacy unfolds, how the storyline of her child ends up.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

However, depending on how the situation unfolds before the transfer window closes on 1 September, it could be very significant in one way.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

“Lanterns,” which unfolds across two timelines, is the boldest entry so far in James Gunn’s remade DC Universe.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

“The approach unfolds gradually, revealing the home with a sense of anticipation that is both cinematic and unforgettable.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Mr. Redfern runs down to help, and I cross my arms and watch as the scene unfolds.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Outside the hotel hosting Flock’s conference, a scene out of a spy thriller unfolded.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Using doorbell footage, pictures of the scene and police reports, we can now piece together exactly how this fatal incident unfolded.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

So in other words, as the century unfolded, the housing stock in Rust Belt cities was able to absorb demand.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

He also reportedly told then-chief of staff Mark Meadows the situation was “getting really ugly” as it unfolded, while Trump Jr. texted Meadows begging him to get his father to “condemn this” immediately.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

My hands shook as I unfolded the piece of paper.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

And grassroots campaigns are also unfolding, as community leaders recruit voters to defend their local elections, including online.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Another crisis is unfolding underground, threatening the very foundations of buildings.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Yet the bigger squeeze in energy markets is unfolding further downstream in the world’s refineries, where crude is converted into the fuels that power the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The scene in Charing was part of a much wider disaster unfolding across Assam.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

He fumbled unfolding it, one edge of the paper getting stuck against the other side.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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