unfurl

verb

un·​furl ˌən-ˈfər(-ə)l 

unfurled; unfurling; unfurls

transitive verb

: to release from a furled state

unfurled the sails

intransitive verb

: to open out from or as if from a furled state : unfold

The flowers are starting to unfurl.

Synonyms of unfurl

• expand
• extend
• unfold
• open

Examples of unfurl in a Sentence

after the protestors had unfurled their banner, it stretched from one side of the visitors' gallery to the other

Recent Examples on the Web

At the end of the game, with the defending champion celebrating the brilliant comeback win, a banner was unfurled by Giovani Lo Celso on the pitch. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Scheduled to fly later this year, the spacecraft will unfurl a highly reflective 60-foot (18-meter) thin-film mirror. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026

But only once, in 2018, did two plants actually unfurl on the same day. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Early in the film, Angela unfurls a rug onto the living room floor. — Emily Zemler, Architectural Digest, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for unfurl

• cowgirl
• schoolgirl
• burl
• churl
• earl
• girl
• hurl
• merl
• merle
• perle
• swirl
• twirl

Kids Definition

unfurl

verb

un·​furl ˌən-ˈfər(-ə)l 

: to loose from a furled state : open or spread : unfold

unfurl sails

unfurl a flag