as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area after the protestors had unfurled their banner, it stretched from one side of the visitors' gallery to the other

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unfurl When To Divide Hostas Spring is the best time to divide hostas because the shoots are emerging and the leaves haven’t fully unfurled. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025 Events unfurled to the rhythm of only one racket. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 The first violins unfurl a lilting, lightly bopping tune in D minor. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 Alma is a victim of her own quest for love, and pieces of information about her past that might inform her reaction to Maggie’s claims unfurl in dribs throughout the movie. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unfurl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfurl
Verb
  • The Educational Freedom Accounts program significantly expand state taxpayer funding of student tuition and other costs related to private schools and some home-school expenses.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
  • This is a sister organization to the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025—a sweeping conservative policy blueprint aimed at reshaping the federal government by expanding presidential power, dismantling parts of the civil service, and rolling back regulations across agencies.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Democrats countered that the GOP proposal actually is partisan, since Republicans are seeking to extend funding following the passage of a controversial spending bill that narrowly passed in July over the objections of all congressional Democrats.
    Kevin Breuninger,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The court will decide whether to extend McElroy’s TRO into a longer preliminary injunction, which would keep the FEMA homeland security grants available while the case proceeds.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While every government shutdown unfolds differently, essential services that protect life and property typically remain operational.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • That playoff triumph, however, unfolded with fans absent from Petco Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One point is needed to open each door between rooms, and some rooms have multi-point penalties just for entering.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
  • This is a woman who can’t open the refrigerator without having a panic attack.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unfurl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfurl. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unfurl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!