unfold
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to open something that was folded, like a map, a letter, or a piece of clothing.
v.to open or spread out something that has been folded. Transitive or intransitive use.
Simple“He carefully unfolded the map to see which road they should take.”
In context“She unfolded the linen napkins with precise movements, ensuring each one was perfectly flat before placing it on the dinner table.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to happen or develop over time, like a story or a series of events.
v.to develop or happen gradually; to be revealed as a sequence of events. Often used for narratives or complex situations.
Simple“We watched the news to see how the dramatic events would unfold.”
In context“As the investigation began to unfold, several inconsistencies in the witness statements became apparent to the detectives.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to explain or show something in detail.
v.to reveal or disclose thoughts, information, or a plan in a progressive manner.
Simple“The director began to unfold his vision for the new film project.”
In context“In his final speech, the philosopher sought to unfold the complex relationship between ethics and modern technology.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a way in computer programming to create a list of data from a single value.
n.a higher-order function that generates a data structure from a seed value; the dual of a fold operation.
Simple“You can use an unfold to generate a sequence of numbers starting from one.”
In context“The developer implemented an unfold to lazily generate the infinite sequence of Fibonacci numbers within the stream processing module.”
SynonymsanamorphismAntonymsfoldcatamorphism
“As it is, stay with us and we will bring you the results (expected any time between 5am and 8am), as well as all the usual news and reaction as the day unfolds.”
“Fox was in tears watching the action unfold.”
From Middle English unfolden, from Old English unfealdan (“to unfold”), equivalent to un- + fold.
From un- + fold (“to confine into a fold or pen”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.