unfold

verb

un·​fold ˌən-ˈfōld 

unfolded; unfolding; unfolds

transitive verb

1

a

: to open the folds of : spread or straighten out : expand

unfolded the map

b

: to remove (something, such as a package) from the folds : unwrap

unfolding a parcel

2

: to open to the view : reveal

especially : to make clear by gradual disclosure and often by recital

unfolded his story to me

intransitive verb

1

a

: to open from a folded state : open out : expand

b

: blossom

2

: develop, evolve

as the story unfolds

3

: to open out gradually to the view or understanding : become known

a panorama unfolds before their eyes

unfoldment

ˌən-ˈfōl(d)-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of unfold

• expand
• extend
• open
• unfurl

Examples of unfold in a Sentence

The couch unfolds to form a bed.

We'll have more news as events unfold.

We watched the drama unfold on live television.

As the story unfolds, we learn that the boy became an orphan when he was one year old.

Recent Examples on the Web

That possibility, however subtle, may have helped drive the legal chaos that unfolded in Baton Rouge just 48 hours before LSU was scheduled to take the field. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

At the same time, creative work unfolds within systems that often reward caution. — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026

All of this has unfolded in a consequential season for Bohm, who is an impending free agent. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

The exercise was just the tip of the iceberg in what’s unfolding across the country. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for unfold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

unfold

verb

un·​fold ˌən-ˈfōld 

1

a

: to spread or cause to spread or straighten out from a folded position or arrangement

unfolded the map

b

: unwrap

2

: bloom entry 2 sense 1

3

: develop sense 1a

as the story unfolds

4

: to open out or cause to open out gradually to the view or understanding

new technology unfolds before us