unfold
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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to become unfolded; open.
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to develop.
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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
- unfoldable adjective
- unfolder noun
- unfoldment noun
Etymology
Origin of unfold
before 900; Middle English unfolden, Old English unfealdan; cognate with German entfalten. See un- 2, fold 1
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.
She adds that she quickly "forgot the cameras were there", which meant arguments would unfold as they normally would, only for Habboo to then "worry about it afterwards".
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
My own experience watching these debates unfold has underscored how quickly abstract legal theories can translate into concrete consequences for voters.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
Meanwhile, as Season 50 continues to unfold, no one knows who will be crowned “Sole Survivor” on May 20 in Los Angeles, the show’s first live finale since 2019.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
The Journal ranked the 124 brackets in the pool based on the 32,768 possible ways for the tournament to unfold.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
“You’re in for quite an adventure, actually,” the knight said to him as Jack dreamily watched the scene unfold in midair.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
