unfold

1 of 2

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

unfoldment

2 of 2

noun

un·​fold·​ment -l(d)mənt 

plural -s

1

: the act or process of unfolding : development, evolution

during the story's unfoldment the character grows

—Saturday Evening Post

help those who are seeking spiritual unfoldment

—American Mercury

2

: full manifestation or realization

the journey of the soul to its final unfoldment

—M. L. Bach

Synonyms of unfold

Verb

• expand
• extend
• open
• unfurl

Examples of unfold in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

However, on the evidence of these 90 minutes and what’s come in the previous nine months, United’s second season back at English football’s top table may also unfold far differently to how many expected. — Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

The next two complaints unfolded a year later between April 14 and April 28. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026

After the first that took place in July, this is the second of thirteen alignments that will unfold between these two planets before 2032. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Now 20, Taraneh Rahimi faces execution over her alleged role in the January protests, while her twin sister could spend decades in prison, in a case unfolding amid a sharp rise in Iran’s use of the death penalty. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

unfold + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

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