unfurl
To unroll and open out.
unfurl in a sentence
- The sailors unfurled the great white sails as the ship left the harbour.
- In spring the fern's curled leaves slowly unfurl and open out in the sunshine.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to unfurl?
- Aclose
- Bunroll
- Cfold
Show the answer
B: unroll. The other three mean the opposite of unfurl.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to unfurl?
- Aopen
- Bspread
- Cunroll
- Dfold
Show the answer
D: fold. The other three mean nearly the same as unfurl.
Words that mean something similar
unroll, open, spread
Words that mean the opposite
fold, close
More words about movement & action
- unravel: To untangle threads, or to slowly work out a mystery.
- unveil: To show something to people for the first time.
- uproot: To pull a plant out of the ground, or to move someone from their home.
- usher: To lead or guide someone politely to a place.
- vanish: To disappear suddenly and completely.
- vanquish: To defeat someone completely in a battle or contest.
- vault: To jump over something using your hands or a pole to help you.
- veer: To change direction suddenly.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test