Synonyms

unfurl

American

[uhn-furl] / ʌnˈfɜrl /

verb (used with object)

to spread or shake out from a furled state, as a sail or a flag; unfold.

verb (used without object)

to become unfurled.

unfurl British

/ ʌnˈfɜːl /

verb

to unroll, unfold, or spread out or be unrolled, unfolded, or spread out from a furled state

"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

unfurlable adjective

Etymology

Origin of unfurl

First recorded in 1635–45; un- ² + furl

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.

Alternating every two or three chapters, Ms. Seve and the actor Caleb Teaupa unfurl a blood- and brine-soaked epic set in and around the islands of long-ago Polynesia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

The result will unfurl over years, not news cycles.

From Slate • Jan. 29, 2026

Geopolitical events will unfurl as we watch from afar.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025

The bird would unfurl its brilliant red under-feathers and feed on unpopped popcorn.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025

To unfurl my fingers, he first straightened my thumb.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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