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
Roses were gently laid across the caskets before eight white doves were released into the sky, their wings unfurling into the clouds — a cruel irony beside the eight young lives below, cut short before their stories ever had the chance to unfurl at all.
—
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
What otherwise might be viewed as an aspect of maturation or the spirit moving him also happens to be unfurling early in a season in which the Royals had stressed the need for their young-ish core to seize control of the team.
—Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
At thirty-eight, her womb was unfurling its first bloody fruit.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Several nations on the continent are only just recovering from a post-pandemic shock that sent debt burdens soaring, and inflationary pressures set off by the war in the Middle East now risk unfurling that progress.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Introduced by Jack Black, Illumination chief Chris Meledandri was on hand today in Las Vegas, unfurling a long look that shows the Minions in the Midwest chasing a robber cowboy on horse, train and plane and cornering him.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Amid an unfurling federal corruption probe into City Councilmember Farah Louis, the Daily News has learned that the Brooklyn rep has been embroiled in a messy internal council investigation.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
What otherwise might be viewed as an aspect of maturation or the spirit moving him also happens to be unfurling early in a season in which the Royals had stressed the need for their young-ish core to seize control of the team.
—Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
At thirty-eight, her womb was unfurling its first bloody fruit.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Several nations on the continent are only just recovering from a post-pandemic shock that sent debt burdens soaring, and inflationary pressures set off by the war in the Middle East now risk unfurling that progress.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Introduced by Jack Black, Illumination chief Chris Meledandri was on hand today in Las Vegas, unfurling a long look that shows the Minions in the Midwest chasing a robber cowboy on horse, train and plane and cornering him.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Amid an unfurling federal corruption probe into City Councilmember Farah Louis, the Daily News has learned that the Brooklyn rep has been embroiled in a messy internal council investigation.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfurling
Verb
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With revenue-sharing challenges mounting across college athletics — and some schools already cutting sports — expanding the playoff has become a potential financial lifeline.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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According to Abbott's office, the Texas Department of Public Safety is immediately expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce to the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Speculators had been maintaining a net short position that set records for both its depth (in data for futures and options extending back to the 2006, a low near 90,000 contracts was set in October) and duration (net short positions started in April 2024 and ended March 2026).—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
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Over the last five years, there has been a significant shift in how fashion and sports intersect, both on and off the court, with athletes’ influence extending beyond the court and into culture at large.—
Darian Symoné Harvin,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
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But conversations at the inaugural Association for Enterprise Opportunity State of Small Business Summit suggested something more complicated is unfolding.—
Natalie Madeira Cofield,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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What’s happening in Fort Worth The Parker County purchase is unfolding while Black Mountain’s $10 billion data center project in southeast Fort Worth runs into steady community pushback.—
Emily Holshouser. Produced with AI assistance,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Verb
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His vision for opening software development to the masses turned his startup into a market leader in AI coding.—
Rebecca Fannin,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
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Sources said a video posted to an online gore site allegedly shows the suspects approaching the center and then opening fire, with a person believed to be suspect Clark wearing camouflage fatigues and a plate carrier.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfurling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfurling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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