unspool

verb

un·​spool ˌən-ˈspül How to pronounce unspool (audio)
unspooled; unspooling; unspools

transitive verb

1
: to unwind from a spool
unspool the cable
2
: to execute or present artfully or gracefully
unspooled a jump shot
unspooling an intricate tale

intransitive verb

: to be presented or revealed on or as if on a movie screen

Examples of unspool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When activated, these spires unspool in flowing water, reducing drag and increasing lift. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025 The first two episodes of Italian maestro Marco Bellocchio’s new series for HBO Max, Portobello, will unspool at the Venice Film Festival on Monday. Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025 Written in the flush of a new friendship with co-producer, engineer, and musician Sam Weber, the album unspools a suite of folk miniatures riven with discursive melodies as evocative as the cultural ephemera dotted through the lyrics. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Aug. 2025 Over 50 years, these rolls unspool, driven by motors, in response to climate projections for sea level rise, temperature extremes and drought. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unspool

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unspool was in 1940

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Cite this Entry

“Unspool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspool. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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