1
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
2
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
3
4
as in to appear
to come into view
the majestic landscape unfolded before us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfold
Emergency medical crews treated 17 people at the scene after the shooting unfolded as bars were closing for the night.
—
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Mar. 2026
But Saturday’s most bizarre finish unfolded at Winter Park High School, where fans of both the Wildcats and Lake Mary ran onto the court to celebrate victory after the horn sounded, ending a low-scoring game that had fans on the edge of their seats all night.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Iranians say the war is unfolding in phases.
—Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 1 Mar. 2026
Social media quickly filled with videos, eyewitness accounts and reactions as the shooting unfolded.
—Robbie Farias, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfold
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Mar. 2026
But Saturday’s most bizarre finish unfolded at Winter Park High School, where fans of both the Wildcats and Lake Mary ran onto the court to celebrate victory after the horn sounded, ending a low-scoring game that had fans on the edge of their seats all night.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Iranians say the war is unfolding in phases.
—Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 1 Mar. 2026
Social media quickly filled with videos, eyewitness accounts and reactions as the shooting unfolded.
—Robbie Farias, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfold
Verb
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Oseguera was the leader and co-founder of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a criminal group that has rapidly expanded its influence in recent years, becoming one of the main traffickers of methamphetamine and fentanyl into the US.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images Four years of war between Russia and Ukraine are beginning to take their toll on the countries' demographics as the conflict puts women off — or prevents them — from starting or expanding their families.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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African wildcats didn’t evolve around water and probably would be just as wary of a bathtub as our domestic kitties.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
27 Feb. 2026
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Experts say in recent years, the UFWD’s tactics have evolved to become increasingly aggressive.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Slater is a virtuosic physical actor, and his evocation of the mime’s precision, silliness, and grace—the elastic faces, the acrobatic tumbles, the fingers that bloom into flowers, then wilt, then bloom again — is painstaking and loving in its observance.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
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Overcrowding can also reduce blooming; divide your bulbs every four years to promote more flowering.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other images appeared to show Kim Ju Ae, wearing a leather jacket, observing through binoculars as her father took a shot, and helping present the rifles to others at the event.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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However, Anthropic appears financially stable enough to walk away from the $200 million government contract.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Taylor Whitehill added 13 points, while Avery Lanore scored 12 and Maddie Schneider scored 11 for the Mustangs, who took control in the first half, outscoring the Pirates 27-17 and extending the advantage in the second half.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
25 Feb. 2026
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The bank was more aggressive in extending credit and slower to liquidate its positions.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These are the growing number of young men who are dropouts, do not work or have meaningful or fulfilling jobs, do not marry, have no children, few friends, and live in the basement of their parents’ home.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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With nine prominent Democrats in the race, pressure on lower polling candidates to drop out has increased as concerns grow that Democrats will split their party’s vote in the June 2 primary, allowing two Republicans to slip into the runoff.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If the gift recipient doesn’t mind a bright print, opt for the flowering paisley goji berry, marked down to just $43.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026
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Proper hydrangea care begins with identifying which species bloom on last year’s growth versus those that flower on new shoots.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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BrokerCheck will show you a broker’s employment history, licensing information, and any regulatory actions, arbitrations, or customer complaints.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Among thousands of documents made public, some photos showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman, whose face is redacted, seated alongside him with her arm around him.—
STEVEN SLOAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfold. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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