unfurl

verb

un·​furl ˌən-ˈfər(-ə)l How to pronounce unfurl (audio)
unfurled; unfurling; unfurls
Synonyms of unfurlnext

transitive verb

: to release from a furled state

intransitive verb

: to open out from or as if from a furled state : unfold

Synonyms

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Examples of unfurl in a Sentence

after the protestors had unfurled their banner, it stretched from one side of the visitors' gallery to the other
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Driving the news: The trees in the Quad are on track to reach peak bloom around March 23, UW arborist Sara Shores told Axios, but should be starting to unfurl next week. — Christine Clarridge, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025 The dawn attack unfurled ahead of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on seeking an end of the three-year-war and as Russian forces try to encircle thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk. — Guy Faulconbridge and Anton Kolodyazhnyy, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025 Handel’s Suite No. 5 unfurled with bewitching grace and suppleness, but Brahms’s Handel Variations suffered from abrupt accents and overstudied phrasing. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 On the first day, winds were high and the bright pink fabric ballooned as workers tried to unfurl it in Biscayne Bay. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unfurl

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfurl was in 1641

Rhymes for unfurl

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unfurl
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Cite this Entry

“Unfurl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfurl. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

unfurl

verb
un·​furl ˌən-ˈfər(-ə)l How to pronounce unfurl (audio)
: to loose from a furled state : open or spread : unfold
unfurl sails
unfurl a flag

More from Merriam-Webster on unfurl

Nglish: Translation of unfurl for Spanish Speakers

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