unfold

verb

un·​fold ˌən-ˈfōld How to pronounce unfold (audio)
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
2
: to open to the view : reveal
especially : to make clear by gradual disclosure and often by recital

intransitive verb

1
a
: to open from a folded state : open out : expand
b
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 noun

Example Sentences

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 Following Dreamville, Rose’s career really began to unfold. Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2023 Contra The 2024 presidential primary is still more than a year away and the final candidate field has yet to unfold. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023 How will the coronation day unfold? Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 5 Apr. 2023 The status of Emily Ratajkowski and Harry Styles relationship continues to unfold. Tracey Harrington Mccoy, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2023 The world’s worst nuclear disaster, unfolding only a few miles away, did not force Halyna Voloshyna, 74, to abandon her home in Chernobyl in 1986. Marc Santora Emile Ducke, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023 But one seasoned investor who predicted 2008’s great financial crisis thinks that more chaos will unfold. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2023 With a rally in support of Pearson unfolding about a mile away at the National Civil Rights Museum, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will meet at 1:30 p.m. to take up the matter of Pearson’s vacant seat. Dakin Andone, CNN, 12 Apr. 2023 Here, however, we’re made witness to an unfolding disaster, a rupture in the proper order of things. Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfold was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near unfold

Cite this Entry

“Unfold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfold. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

unfold

verb
un·​fold ˌən-ˈfōld How to pronounce unfold (audio)
1
a
: to spread or cause to spread or straighten out from a folded position or arrangement
unfolded the map
b
: unwrap
2
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

More from Merriam-Webster on unfold

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