as in expanding
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
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Recent Examples of unfurling
The florist-by-trade gestures behind her to hundreds of flowers contained in buckets — blue thistles, ivory anemones and calla lilies painted silver — all twisted and unfurling into the air.
—
Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
On May 20, 2025, Joslin and a group of activists climbed up one-third of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite monolith in Yosemite Park, unfurling a large Transgender flag and hanging it along the mountainside for approximately two hours.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Poems about buds unfurling in the spring, poems about music, poems about all the work there is to be done.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Tehran has responded by unfurling a four-story poster in the capital’s Enghelab – or Revolution – Square threatening the destruction of an American aircraft carrier.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
The 12-hour time difference didn’t stop him from diving headfirst into the moment, jumping on the bed, playfully unfurling the pieces and directing camera cuts.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Jan. 2026
Since then, changes have started unfurling at the entertainment and retail center.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026
Hardly out of her teens, Anna Christopherson is a Swedish immigrant, brought by her mother to Minnesota as a young child while her father, Chris (Brian d’Arcy James, unfurling in the role as if it were written for him), was constantly away at sea.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
The source of her excitement was the slip of paper that Shaquille O’Neal was unfurling ahead on a panel of television screens, signifying arguably the most-favorable draw for the Americans.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
On May 20, 2025, Joslin and a group of activists climbed up one-third of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite monolith in Yosemite Park, unfurling a large Transgender flag and hanging it along the mountainside for approximately two hours.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Poems about buds unfurling in the spring, poems about music, poems about all the work there is to be done.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Tehran has responded by unfurling a four-story poster in the capital’s Enghelab – or Revolution – Square threatening the destruction of an American aircraft carrier.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
The 12-hour time difference didn’t stop him from diving headfirst into the moment, jumping on the bed, playfully unfurling the pieces and directing camera cuts.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Jan. 2026
Since then, changes have started unfurling at the entertainment and retail center.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026
Hardly out of her teens, Anna Christopherson is a Swedish immigrant, brought by her mother to Minnesota as a young child while her father, Chris (Brian d’Arcy James, unfurling in the role as if it were written for him), was constantly away at sea.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
The source of her excitement was the slip of paper that Shaquille O’Neal was unfurling ahead on a panel of television screens, signifying arguably the most-favorable draw for the Americans.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfurling
Verb
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After observing Choe Hyon's sea trials on Tuesday, Kim said the ship met operational requirements and called it a symbol of the country's expanding naval capabilities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Ukrainian manufacturers have developed low-cost interceptor drones specifically designed to hunt and destroy Shaheds, and its rapidly expanding drone industry is producing excess capacity.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The team can open up additional cap space by releasing, trading, restructuring or extending contracts.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
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Benchmark futures jumped as much as 30% on Monday, extending their biggest weekly advance since the energy crisis.—
Priscila Azevedo Rocha,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Inside the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum, a new chapter is unfolding, according to curator Jill Ahlberg Yohe.—
Derek James,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Alabama Solution is a six-year investigation into the crisis unfolding at prisons across the southern state, discovering over 1,300 deaths of people in custody inside Alabama correctional facilities between 2019 and 2024.—
Davi Merchan,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Futures that indicate where the S&P 500 will trade at the opening bell dropped 2%, while Dow futures pointed to as much as a 970-point drop.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
3 Mar. 2026
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Restricting access to one of the country’s most important sources of affordable capital risks slowing expansion, delaying hiring and preventing new firms from opening their doors altogether.—
Krish O'Mara Vignarajah,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfurling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfurling. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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