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

Two days after the hearing a class of junior high school students unrolled a fifty-foot-long petition down the middle aisle of the city council chamber in nearby Baytown. —Scott W. Stern, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2026

This Levi’s pair, in particular, has a 27-inch inseam unrolled and 25-inch inseam when the hems are cuffed. —Eden Lichterman, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026

Traditionally, this dessert asks you to (1) swaddle hot cake in a kitchen towel; (2) roll, cool, and unroll it to set the shape; then (3) fill and reroll it with bated breath. —Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026

As fresh episodes unroll on Netflix, new generations of talent are waiting to be discovered. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026

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