unfolded; unfolding; unfolds
1
2
: to open to the view : reveal
especially
: to make clear by gradual disclosure and often by recital
3
: to open out gradually to the view or understanding : become known
a panorama unfolds before their eyes
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
Over the course of the young adult novel, a parallel love story also unfolds.
—
Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2025
But since the late 1990s, whenever India and Pakistan approached the brink of war, a familiar de-escalation playbook unfolded: intense diplomacy, often led by the United States, would help defuse tensions.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 May 2025
These two narrative stories — each one taking place in a different world — have unfolded simultaneously.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Alarming changes are unfolding on this vast icy continent, which holds enough water to raise levels by 190 feet.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfold
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Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2025
But since the late 1990s, whenever India and Pakistan approached the brink of war, a familiar de-escalation playbook unfolded: intense diplomacy, often led by the United States, would help defuse tensions.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 May 2025
These two narrative stories — each one taking place in a different world — have unfolded simultaneously.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Alarming changes are unfolding on this vast icy continent, which holds enough water to raise levels by 190 feet.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfold
Cite this Entry
“Unfold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfold. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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