unreel

American  

[uhn-reel] / ʌnˈril /

verb (used with object)

1. to unwind from or as if from a reel.

   to unreel some wire; to unreel a tangled skein.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become unreeled.

Other Word Forms

• unreelable adjective
• unreeler noun

Etymology

Origin of unreel

First recorded in 1560–70; un- ² + reel ¹

Example Sentences

“I began living the movie as it unreeled.”

From New York Times

From her base in Chicago, she unreeled an array of stories about the triumphs and tragedies of people both ordinary and extraordinary.

From Washington Times

This time, the action unreels not in an East German dacha but in a London hospital.

From New York Times

A moment of silence unreeled as they contemplated their situation.

From Literature

In the meantime, researchers hope their work will help us unreel one of the toughest materials of the natural world.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• loosen
• unfurl
• unravel