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unfold

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unfold¹

  • /ʌnˈfoʊld/ US
  • /ʌnˈfəʊld/ UK

Rhymes with -əʊld

Where it comes from

From Middle English unfolden, from Old English unfealdan (“to unfold”), equivalent to un- + fold.

verb unfolds · unfolding · unfolded

  1. transitive To undo a folding. to unfold a map; to unfold a tablecloth; She unpacks the new dress and unfolds it carefully.
  2. intransitive To become unfolded. The curtains unfolded to reveal the stage.
  3. intransitive To turn out; to happen; to develop. Events unfolded in an unexpected way.
  4. transitive To lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development; to reveal. to unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science

    Similar: expose

  5. transitive To reassemble a line of text that was split across multiple lines.

    Opposite: fold

Similar: uncover · Opposite: fold

noun unfolds

  1. In functional programming, a kind of higher-order function that is the opposite of a fold.

unfold²

  • /ʌnˈfoʊld/ US
  • /ʌnˈfəʊld/ UK

Rhymes with -əʊld

verb unfolds · unfolding · unfolded

  1. transitive To release from a fold or pen. to unfold sheep

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: stretch out, spread out, spread, stretch, open, extend, blossom out, blossom, blossom forth, disclose, arise, proceed, commence, undertake, develop, deploy

verb

Similar: uncover · Opposite: fold

Translations

Every language

verb To undo a folding

Españoldesplegar, explayar
한국어펴다 pyeoda
日本語広げる hirogeru
中文展開 /展开 zhǎnkāi
Portuguêsdesdobrar
Françaisdéplier, dérouler
Deutschentfalten, ausbreiten
Românădesfășura
Русскийразвора́чивать razvoráčivatʹ, развёртывать razvjórtyvatʹ, разверну́ть razvernútʹ, раскла́дывать raskládyvatʹ, разложи́ть razložítʹ

verb To turn out; to happen; to develop

Españoldiscurrir, desenvolverse
Françaisdérouler
Deutschsich entfalten, sich entwickeln, sich abzeichnen, sich anbahnen
Românădesfășura
Русскийразвора́чиваться razvoráčivatʹsja, разверну́ться razvernútʹsja

verb To reveal

Deutschoffenlegen, enthüllen

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Cite this
MLA

"unfold." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/unfold. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

unfold. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/unfold

Chicago

"unfold." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/unfold.

BibTeX
@misc{unfold_2026,
  title = {unfold},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/unfold},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}