1
as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area carefully unfold that antique map so that it doesn't tear

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2
as in to evolve
to gradually become clearer or more detailed as the situation unfolded, it became clear that more help would be needed the movie became more interesting once the mystery began to unfold

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3
as in to bloom
to produce flowers the rosebud unfolded literally overnight

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4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unfold That meant disseminating the pertinent information got to the right people more quickly and efficiently as the draft process unfolded. Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Commemorations unfolded, though unacknowledged by governments and factory owners who are legally barred from hiring refugees (but often do so anyway due to low wages and labor availability). Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 25 June 2025 The drama all unfolded in the secretive Office of Municipal Services Assessment, a unit created by Mayor Adams to evaluate the performance of city agencies that operated out of 375 Pearl St. behind police headquarters. Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025 The fragrance then unfolds into a radiant heart of Lavandin, Mahonial®, and Rosyfolia®, to encapsulate sunshine in an endless summer. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unfold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfold
Verb
  • As part of the package, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will deliver more than $275 million in grant funding to expand parking access for truck drivers nationwide.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 1 July 2025
  • Really expand that, but that's part of the process.
    DJ Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Passive income has evolved beyond real estate and dividend stocks and there are now new paths like digital products and YouTube channels that are worth exploring.
    Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • But fans in Connecticut and beyond quickly fell in love with their dynamic as TikTok dances evolved into lengthy live streams, and their relationship goes even deeper when the cameras aren’t on.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • In the wacky political world of Southeast Los Angeles County — where scandals seem to bloom every year with the regularity of jacarandas — there’s never been a mess as pendejo as the one stirred up this week by Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • We’re fed Apollo Bar highlights like a salad rosso, a globe of radicchio segmented with chunks of blood orange, a blooming artichoke, and seasonal strawberry ice-cream cake.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement Musk became a close ally of Trump’s and appeared at major campaign rallies with him, addressing large crowds and urging them to vote for Trump.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 July 2025
  • However, this new technology is minimally invasive, appears to support recovery of both movement and sensation, and does not cause damage to the spinal cord.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • The implications of the Democrats’ current predicament extend far beyond immediate legislative setbacks.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 7 July 2025
  • Given the dominance of their major predator, the wolf, in mountainous and forested regions of the north, the coyote found its niche in the grasslands and deserts of North America east of the Mississippi to the Pacific and extending south into Mexico.
    Helen Whybrow July 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Oaktree, which is on the way to amassing one of the largest independent library catalogs in the industry with about 70,000 movies and episodes, will fold its growing media footprint into a new holding company called Radial Entertainment.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 July 2025
  • Without specifying any figures, Sinclair says its ratings for women’s tennis have grown since 2023, especially among the coveted 18-to-34-year-old demographic.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • In return, the shade cast by rising tomato plants can help provide some protective cover for the lettuce and stop it from bolting (flowering, which turns the leaves bitter and dry) during the heat of summer.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
  • To attract them throughout the season, include a variety of plants that will flower at different times during spring, summer, and fall.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • That leadership will need to show itself in the coming months, before ballots are printed and voters start returning ballots by mail.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
  • Another video shows two fans fell over a wall and landed on concrete at the pit entrance.
    Mark Price Updated July 7, Miami Herald, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unfold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfold. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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