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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
All the while, the president was watching the mayhem unfold on television. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 Nov. 2024 There’s no shortage of options for how to watch Election Day – and Night, and probably Week – unfold on broadcast and cable TV and streaming services beginning Tuesday. Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 Many cellular processes that unfold in the human body can be replicated in yeast as a research proxy. Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024 But players will have to work to see its genius unfold, as Brothership holds back most of its best aspects during the opening hours. Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unfold 

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 12 Nov. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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