unfold
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to bring out of a folded state; spread or open out.
Unfold your arms.
-
to spread out or lay open to view.
-
to reveal or display.
-
to reveal or disclose in words, especially by careful or systematic exposition; set forth; explain.
verb (used without object)
-
to become unfolded; open.
-
to develop.
-
to become clear, apparent, or known.
The protagonist's character unfolds as the story reaches its climax.
verb
-
to open or spread out or be opened or spread out from a folded state
-
to reveal or be revealed
the truth unfolds
-
to develop or expand or be developed or expanded
Other Word Forms
- unfoldable adjective
- unfolder noun
- unfoldment noun
Etymology
Origin of unfold
before 900; Middle English unfolden, Old English unfealdan; cognate with German entfalten. See un- 2, fold 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while some familiar faces return and events unfold against the magnificent backdrop of towering mountains and lush greenery, “Marshals” is definitely not “Yellowstone” 2.0.
From Los Angeles Times
However, even after that second-half fightback at the home of their city rivals, Hearts still ended the day as the big winners, watching the carnage unfold after grinding out another win 24 hours prior.
From BBC
Similar scenes unfolded among large parts of the Iranian diaspora abroad.
From BBC
As news of the strikes unfolded early Saturday in the U.S., it became clear that Khamenei was a target, but his fate wasn’t known.
A war which is far from over is already unfolding in unpredictable and perilous ways.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
