unroll

verb

un·​roll ˌən-ˈrōl 

unrolled; unrolling; unrolls

transitive verb

1

: to unwind a roll of : open out : uncoil

2

: to spread out like a scroll for reading or inspection : unfold, reveal

intransitive verb

: to be unrolled : unwind

Examples of unroll in a Sentence

He carefully unrolled the ancient scroll.

I unrolled the new carpet.

When we arrived at the cabin, we unrolled our sleeping bags.

The hose will unroll if you pull on it.

Last week, the government unrolled a new vaccination campaign.

The scandal unrolled over the course of several weeks.

Recent Examples on the Web

So, firefighters unrolled hoses and hooked up to a nearby fire hydrant. —Ars Technica, 20 Feb. 2025

Later that day, one of my friends carried it upstairs, opened the box, unrolled the mattress, and placed it on my bed. —Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2025

Now, thanks to advanced scanning technology, experts have been able to read the scroll’s inscription without unrolling it. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024

Firefly released a time-lapse video Monday from one of Blue Ghost's 12 cameras showing the spacecraft's top deck, with the Moon's cratered terrain unrolling beneath it. —Kristin Shaw, Ars Technica, 27 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for unroll

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

unroll

verb

un·​roll ˌən-ˈrōl 

ˈən-

1

: to unwind a roll of : open out

unroll a carpet

2

: disclose

the government unrolled a new program

3

: to become unrolled or spread out : unfold

a view of mountains unrolled before them