What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Unwind vs Unfold - What's the difference?

unwind | unfold |

In transitive terms the difference between unwind and unfold

is that unwind is to wind off; to loose or separate; to untwist; to untwine; as, to unwind thread, to unwind a ball of yarn while unfold is to reveal.

In intransitive terms the difference between unwind and unfold

is that unwind is to be or become unwound; to be capable of being unwound or untwisted while unfold is to turn out; to happen; to develop.

As a noun unfold is

in functional programming, a kind of higher-order function that is the opposite of a fold.

unwind

English

Verb

  • To wind off; to loose or separate; to untwist; to untwine; as, to unwind thread, to unwind a ball of yarn
  • Could you unwind about a foot of ribbon so I can finish the package?
  • (obsolete) To disentangle
  • * 1836 , , The Works of Richard Hooker , Volume 4, page 27:
  • ... but being not so skilful as in every point to unwind themselves where the snares of glossing speech do lie to entangle them, ...
  • (slang) To relax; to chill out; as, to rest and relieve of stress
  • After work, I like to unwind by smoking a pipe while reading the paper.
  • To be or become unwound; to be capable of being unwound or untwisted.
  • unfold

    English

    Verb

  • To undo a folding.
  • * Herbert
  • Unfold thy forehead gathered into frowns.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}
  • To turn out; to happen; to develop.
  • * '>citation
  • Memento unfolds over 22 scenes—or, more accurately, 22 strands of time, the main strand (in color) moving backward in increments, and another strand (in black and white) going forward, though the two overlap profoundly.
  • To reveal.
  • * , I.v.
  • Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing  To what I shall unfold .
  • To open (anything covered or closed); to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • Unfold the passion of my love.
  • To release from a fold or pen.
  • Antonyms
    * fold

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (computing, programming) In functional programming, a kind of higher-order function that is the opposite of a fold.