Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to unfurl

to unfurl

11 4.5
To open something rolled or folded so it lies flat
  • verb
  • /ʌnˈfɜrl/
translation icon : desplegar
  • It unfurls almost like a flower blooms when it's ready.
  • unfurl a banner
  • unfurl a flag

It unfurls almost like a flower blooms when it's ready.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The Tweedle Dee has cleared the harbor, and the boat boys have started unfurling the sails.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Amid laughter and great warmth, Sidney unfurls the front page of the Messenger, the Muslim newspaper.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • So you can watch me unfurl my master plan!

    The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (1998)

  • Take that side and and unfurl it slowly, very slowly.

  • You begin rolling the top back, unfurling it to get it on to the car.

  • Meguet watched the dawn unfurl like a wing of fire across the delta.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Don't unfurl the banners until the fire ignites.

    Luther (2003)

  • Parliament member Eli Ben Menahem unfurls a speech, shooting from the hip.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Its blossoms unfurl like sails on a sailboat, and its flowers smell as sweet.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • As the sun rose, the sails began to unfurl gracefully against the clear blue sky.

Synonyms

to spread
vsto unfurl
664 1.6

To put a thin layer over a surface

is about opening items from a roll or fold rather than general covering
to unfold
vsto unfurl
39 1.3

Open something that is folded so it becomes flat

is about opening items that were rolled as well as folded
to spread out
vsto unfurl
24 3.1

To arrange or unfold things so they cover a larger area

focuses on covering area rather than opening from rolled or folded state
to unroll
vsto unfurl
12 2.0

To spread out something like a carpet or map that was wrapped up

has identical meaning but appears grouped with other similar verbs
to roll out
vsto unfurl
8 3.4

To make something flat by unrolling it or using a roller

focuses on the method of flattening rather than simply opening items
to unreel
vsto unfurl
1 7.4

To pull a line or cable from a reel

is used more generally for opening items rolled or folded

Antonyms

to roll up
25 3.4

Fold or turn something so it becomes a tight round shape

to furl
3 7.8

To roll up things like a sail or flag neatly for storage

How Open

to spread
664 1.6
to open
∞ 1.0
to unfurl
11 4.5
to unfold
39 1.3

Surface Forms

unfurl infinitive
unfurled past
unfurled past participle
unfurling present participle
unfurls third person singular

Morphology

unfurl = furl (transparent) = un + furl

Formed by productive prefix 'un-' (reverse) applied to 'furl' so the meaning 'to unroll/unfold' is directly derived.

Etymology

The word unfurl breaks into un- meaning 'reverse' and furl meaning 'to roll up'. So to unfurl is to 'un-roll' something like a sail, flag, or young leaf, letting it spread out.