From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishunfoldun‧fold /ʌnˈfəʊld $ -ˈfoʊld/ ●●○ verb 1 CLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND[intransitive, transitive] if a story unfolds, or if someone unfolds it, it is told As the story unfolds, we learn more about Max’s childhood.2 [intransitive] if a series of events unfolds, they happen He had watched the drama unfold from a nearby ship.3 OPEN[intransitive, transitive] if you unfold something that was folded, or if it unfolds, it opens out He unfolded the map.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
unfold• "I must lay the table, '' she said, unfolding a clean white linen tablecloth.• Eileen struggled to unfold a large map.• Roy Anderson took great pains to ensure there were no more surprises for any of the players in the unfolding drama.• Miss Male nervously folded and unfolded her napkin as she spoke.• Reno unfolded herself, pushed her bulk out of the car, and peeled her dresses off the back seat.• He took out his handkerchief, unfolded it, and blew his nose.• As the case against Wooten unfolds, Mustaf is expected to continue playing a leading role.• As the story unfolds, our image of Claudia changes.• Even those remaining were listening to the drama unfolding outside the hostelry.• The receipt had been folded and unfolded so many times that it was almost in pieces.• Because as the days and weeks unfold so will the true identity of her baby.• The woman turned and looked frankly puzzled, unfolding the note.• They unfolded the tablecloth and set out the picnic.the drama unfold• By ten the next morning, some twenty thousand people were on hand to watch the drama unfold.• He had watched the drama unfold from a support vessel.• Bruno, somewhat impervious to the drama unfolding in front of him, was still huffing and puffing in his monster role.• Even those remaining were listening to the drama unfolding outside the hostelry. 