unspooled
Let the reel loose
Unspooled means unwound from a spool or reel.
Film unspools from its canister; thread unspools from a bobbin.
Figuratively, events or narratives unspool as they unfold gradually: The story unspooled over three generations.
Someone who has unspooled has come undone emotionally—lost composure or fallen apart: He completely unspooled after the divorce.
Released from coils
- untangledSeparated what was knotted
- disentangledMade free from snarls
- loosenedMade less tight
- unfurledOpened and displayed
uncoiled · unwrapped · released · freed · disintegrated · unbound · slackened
Twisted strand for crafts
- bobbinSmall cylindrical thread holder
- spindleRotating rod for thread
- skeinCoiled length of thread
- reelWinding cylinder or dance
fiber · filament · winding · coil · unwound · tangled · loose · strand
Projected sequence of stills
- reelWinding cylinder or dance
- projectorLight-casting display device
- celluloidTransparent flammable synthetic material
- footageRecorded video material
frames · canister · editing · splice · cinema · screening · 35mm · nitrate
Made visible or known
- disclosedMade previously hidden known
- unfoldedOpened from folds
- exposedOut in open
- toldCommunicated verbally
recounted · divulged · emerged · unwound · unveiled · unpacked · chronicled
Defeated by sheer volume
- frayingComing apart threadwise
- unravelingProcess of coming undone
- destabilizedMade less secure
- scatteredSpread irregularly about
spiraling · frazzled · undone · overwrought · dysregulated
unwound
Released from coils
- untangledSeparated what was knotted
- disentangledMade free from snarls
- loosenedMade less tight
unfurled · uncoiled · unwrapped · released · freed · disintegrated · unbound · slackened
yarn
Twisted strand for crafts
reel · fiber · filament · winding · coil · unwound · tangled · loose · strand · twine
filmstrip
Projected sequence of stills
- reelWinding cylinder or dance
- projectorLight-casting display device
- celluloidTransparent flammable synthetic material
footage · frames · canister · editing · splice · cinema · screening · 35mm · nitrate · archive
revealed
Made visible or known
told · recounted · divulged · emerged · unwound · unveiled · unpacked · chronicled
overwhelmed
Defeated by sheer volume
- frayingComing apart threadwise
- unravelingProcess of coming undone
- destabilizedMade less secure
scattered · spiraling · frazzled · undone · overwrought · dysregulated
unspooledcontained
Kept within limits
suppressed · held back · bottled up · restrained · withheld
unspooledcomposed
Calm and self-possessed
together · collected · held together · self-possessed · in control