unfurl

American  

[uhn-furl] / ʌnˈfɜrl /

verb (used with object)

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

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verb (used without object)

1. to become unfurled.

unfurl British  

/ ʌnˈfɜːl /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• unfurlable adjective

Etymology

Origin of unfurl

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

Example Sentences

Then, rather than putting away the shot, he unfurled his full power to lift another from all-rounder Cameron Green into the stands.

From BBC

And geopolitical events will unfurl as we watch helplessly from afar.

From MarketWatch

She imagines the journey of her characters unfurling in a spiral, with the story extending downward into the darkness before rising back up.

From Los Angeles Times

But it does push the limits of belief when a tale that supposedly unfurls over four years in Hawkins takes nearly a decade to complete.

From Salon

Once unfurled, it holds up in anything short of a gale.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• unfold
• unroll
• unwind