UNFOLD Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

unfold

verb

ˌən-ˈfōld

Definition of unfold

as in to expand

to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area carefully unfold that antique map so that it doesn't tear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to evolve

to gradually become clearer or more detailed as the situation unfolded, it became clear that more help would be needed the movie became more interesting once the mystery began to unfold

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to bloom

to produce flowers the rosebud unfolded literally overnight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to appear

to come into view the majestic landscape unfolded before us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 unfold President Richard Nixon, who maintained a winter White House complex there, spent a lot of time in Key Biscayne as the Watergate scandal unfolded. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026 Evers stressed this is a complex investigation that will take time to unfold. — Laura Fay, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 The mapping sessions unfolded over time and in settings outside the immediate control of employers. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026 Today's eclipse will unfold over roughly 96 minutes as the moon's shadow races across Greenland, Iceland and Spain. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unfold

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfold

Verb

Investors have increasingly scrutinized the chipmaker’s expanding financial ties with major AI customers.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
New business models such as Walmart supercenters, Costco warehouse clubs and Trader Joe’s specialty stores expanded the abundance further.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of expand

Verb

The town says the project would bring new multifamily housing to the site, though the plans have been evolving and were still being finalized earlier this year.

— Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
But the recording itself — which happened in eerie circumstances and nearly destroyed one of the trumpets — also underlines how our handling of antiquities has evolved dramatically in the intervening decades.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of evolve

Verb

Mathers was set to appear for sentencing on Thursday for the February case and a probable cause conference in the May case.

— DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
But those concerns didn’t stop groups of Catholics from joining a recent joyous pilgrimage on Mount Tabor, where the Gospels say Jesus appeared transfigured alongside the Jewish prophets Moses and Elijah.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of appear

Verb

The attention to detail extended even to Obama’s on-screen aide, played by his real-life Director of Oval Office Operations Brian Mosteller.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Seiya Suzuki followed with a two-run single to extend his career-high on-base streak to 25 games.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of extend

Verb

The population of Quincy, a red dot in deep blue Washington, has grown as agriculture and food processing expanded.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Texas is entering a new era of education this school year with the launch of the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), and some private schools in North Texas are already rapidly growing at an unprecedented pace.

— Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of grow

Verb

Striking arrangements of fruit trees and flowering trees are promised for a space that borders the Inhotim Private Natural Heritage Reserve and the Paz Environmental Protection Area.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Plants flower on both old and new wood, producing two flushes of blooms for lasting color.

— Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of flower

Verb

The odds of a rate increase have ticked lower since last week, however, when a lackluster jobs report showed the labor market had shifted into reverse.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Aside from the team information, shown below is each game’s rating, the probability of the favorite winning, the median score for each team and the median margin of victory for the favorite.

— Loren Maxwell, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of show

Browse Nearby Words

unfocused

unfold

unfolded

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Style

“Unfold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfold. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unfold

verb

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