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

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.

Rather than separating each act into its own set, the show unfolded as a rotating hit factory, with New Edition, Braxton and Boyz II Men weaving in and out of the setlist.

From Los Angeles Times

Amid all the drama unfolding in the background, Palace have suffered on the pitch.

From BBC

He picks up the tie and unfolds it so the satin finish catches the light.

From Literature

The proposed mission unfolds in four carefully planned stages.

From Science Daily

So glad to be with you tonight as the action unfolds at Crypto.com Arena.

From Los Angeles Times

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