unfolds

verb

present tense third-person singular of unfold
1
as in expands
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 evolves
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
as in flowers
to produce flowers the rosebud unfolded literally overnight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in appears
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 unfolds The film unfolds in a devout fishing community on Malaysia’s East Coast, following two young lovers, Jani and Melur, whose plans for the future are upended by an unplanned pregnancy, poverty and addiction, pushing Jani toward the drug trade. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 July 2026 The courage Sullenberger wants to summon now is personal and intimate and unfolds in millions of families every day. — Scott Simon, NPR, 18 July 2026 The story unfolds in 1993, where Hadouken-hurling protagonists Ken (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andrew Koji) are recruited by fan-favorite, high-kicking heroine Chun-Li (Callina Liang) to compete in the World Warrior Tournament. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 The story unfolds across the Icelandic archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar, and the Icelandic and Portuguese capitals of Reykjavík and Lisbon. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 July 2026 But while this drama unfolds, the real winners of the World Cup so far are the prediction markets. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 6 July 2026 From there, the route to finding real Earth Art unfolds through Nevada and Utah, before dipping into Arizona. — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026 What unfolds around the circuit, across London and throughout Britain’s motorsport corridor tells a far bigger commercial story. — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Things rapidly spiral out of control for the quartet as a waking nightmare, filled with ghostly figures and sudden disappearances, unfolds. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfolds
  1. expands
  2. evolves
  3. flowers
  4. appears
  5. opens
  6. progresses
  7. blooms
  8. shows
Verb
  • Drivers who stop or park in Sacramento bike lanes could now face a steeper fine as the city expands its use of artificial intelligence to enforce parking rules.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Production expands beyond laboratory scale The researchers have also made progress in manufacturing the material in larger quantities, an important step toward commercial deployment.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • Uranus and Pluto's collaboration today evolves your sense of security alongside your ambitions.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • Priority Pass has already tested a concept called Priority Pass Private in the Middle East, and Dalkoff suggested more experimentation is likely as the industry evolves.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of evolves
Verb
  • This plant flowers year-round and, like all abutilon cultivars, is not water needy.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of flowers
Verb
  • Surveillance footage obtained by The Associated Press appears to show a white sedan, believed to be Durán Guerrero on his way to work, driving in circles near an intersection before an unmarked vehicle blocks its path.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Rafael Peña is a travel journalist and writer whose work appears in Travel + Leisure, Cruise Critic, and The Miami Herald, a partnership with DETOUR.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of appears
Verb
  • Meanwhile, an emerging beauty crossover — whereby eyewear forms a part of daily rituals — opens new avenues for growth.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 July 2026
  • Including your horse starting to move forward just before the gate opens, then hitting the side of the stall and spotting the field several lengths.
    — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of opens
Verb
  • The major costs in medicine arise when preventable and controllable illness progresses to a life-threatening problem.
    — Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The threat is expected to shift west out of the area as the day progresses.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of progresses
Verb
  • Dahlias grown from tubers won’t bloom until at least midsummer, so choose something that blooms earlier for the filler to provide color before the dahlias bloom.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2026
  • This is typically done in the spring or summer, before the plant blooms.
    — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
Definition of blooms
Verb
  • Video released by Iranian state media shows patients being evacuated from Shahid Baghaei Hospital in Iran’s southwestern city of Ahvaz on Wednesday.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • An analysis of a torrent of public comments submitted on a White House proposal to change the way federal contracts and grants are doled out shows a widespread rebuke of the potential change by scientists and others.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 15 July 2026
Definition of shows

Browse Nearby Words

unfolding
unfolds
unforced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unfolds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfolds. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unfolds

Nglish: Translation of unfolds for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All