unspool

verb

un·​spool ˌən-ˈspül How to pronounce unspool (audio)
unspooled; unspooling; unspools

transitive verb

1
: to unwind from a spool
unspool the cable
2
: to execute or present artfully or gracefully
unspooled a jump shot
unspooling an intricate tale

intransitive verb

: to be presented or revealed on or as if on a movie screen

Examples of unspool in a Sentence

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.
Inspired by the life and work of poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, the film will unspool across three timelines, namely, modern-day Spain, and the country before and then during the Spanish Civil War. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 May 2025 It’s maintained an idiosyncratic spirit all along, combining references from across rock history—a Bob Dylan harmonica line here, a Cars synth line there—with lyrics that unspool in unsteady, careening cadences. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025 Carefully driven to the front line by a remote operator seeing what the ’bot’s own front-facing camera sees, the UGV hooks the end of the coil onto existing wire—and then unspools the rest of the coil. David Axe, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 The book beautifully unspools a bigger picture of faith and the need to nourish the soul. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for unspool

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unspool was in 1940

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Cite this Entry

“Unspool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspool. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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