unfolds

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

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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
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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 Another expression of that sentiment unfolds at Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, where the pace slows and the focus shifts to immersion and well-being. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 4 June 2026 Hiking enthusiasts will likely feel particularly drawn to this relationship term, which refers to eschewing the pressure to label things immediately and instead just taking it slow and seeing what unfolds. Emma Specter, Vogue, 3 June 2026 Where the story unfolds speaks volumes about how the musical is processed, despite some moments where numbers arrive too rapidly. David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 The main event is staged at the Sacsayhuamán archaeological site, the massive stone fortress on the hills above Cusco, where the ceremony unfolds against a backdrop of original Inca masonry. Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026 Lewis’s wife Wren has her own repressed history with this type of disease, and the story that unfolds through their perspectives is layered, surprising and beautiful. Tessa Yang, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 But that shouldn’t mean complacency as the season unfolds. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 June 2026 The preview paints a very dark journey as the hunt for the truth about a young boy and a man wrongly convicted of murder unfolds. David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 The finale's climax unfolds at East Camp, with Kayce and the marshals battling masked shooters who converge on the ranch. Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfolds
Verb
  • The film expands Haig’s play and includes additional characters and sequences, including the actual D-day invasion.
    Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • And yet as the series expands from and twists around its simple horror concept (a wedding at the groom-to-be’s family house in the woods is fated for a titular dark catastrophe), Morrone’s performance as Rachel is able to shoulder the weight of quite a bit of backstory and a complicated endgame.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • The nominal transaction is always visible, whether as spending on token use, software subscriptions, cloud services, or capital equipment; determining how its real content evolves over time is where the economic machinery breaks down.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
  • While some organizations may prefer to wait and see how AI Search evolves, others are already exploring ways to improve their visibility within these platforms.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • This plant flowers year-round and, like all abutilon cultivars, is not water needy.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • So while on paper Mecklenburg’s child care system appears relatively stable — roughly 500 licensed providers, a net gain of licensed slots last year, no mass wave of closures — Hazeldine says that’s an incomplete picture.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
  • But rather than addressing them, Kennedy appears to be attempting to push vaccine compensation on to the civil court system—and, potentially, expose drug makers to unlimited liability.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • Here, the role is reimagined as Taylor, a younger mother of three who, as the film opens, has a passing encounter with Julia before trying to go on with her own day.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
  • Morning belongs to the eastern terraces, where sunrise opens over the water.
    Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • As the investigation progresses in this four-part docuseries, Stephen reveals the turbulent family dynamics that shaped his childhood, including his father Ron — a violent Vietnam War vet grappling with PTSD — and his mother, Margie, who divorced Ron in the '90s.
    James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
  • As the journey progresses, a male driver and his female companion (neither pictured on-screen) begin to discuss the Winkie.
    Jonathan Odden, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • The plant blooms only when sufficient energy is accumulated, making time between flowering unpredictable, spanning from a few years to more than a decade, according to the United States Botanic Garden.
    Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 8 June 2026
  • The flowers are small, but the plant blooms for a long period from May to September.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • An electronic display shows the closing KOSPI index inside the lobby of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, on June 1, 2026.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 June 2026
  • But blacklisting a company for maintaining civil rights protections, and then banning the military deployment of its AI hours later, shows that the federal government in this instance enables the harm that regulation is meant to prevent.
    Michael Gregory, The Conversation, 4 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Unfolds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfolds. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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