unspools
Comes off reel
Unspools describes something unwinding from a spool, as thread or film does when released.
The word appears most often in figurative contexts to characterize events, stories, or situations gradually revealing themselves over time: The plot unspools slowly over the first three episodes.
When a person unspools, they lose composure or fall apart emotionally, much like thread coming loose from its orderly winding.
Twisted strand for crafts
- fiberPlant-based digestive aid
- bobbinSmall cylindrical thread holder
- spindleRotating rod for thread
- unwindingReleasing coiled tension
thread · filament · string · cord · line · cable · wire · tape
Spreads from closed state
- revealsMakes visible or known
- developsComes into being gradually
- storylineSequence of fictional events
- plotStoryline or land parcel
tale · chronicle · saga · drama · mystery · account · episode · flashback
yarn
Twisted strand for crafts
unwinding · thread · filament · string · cord · line · cable · wire · tape · ribbon
unfolds
Spreads from closed state
- revealsMakes visible or known
- developsComes into being gradually
- storylineSequence of fictional events
plot · tale · chronicle · saga · drama · mystery · account · episode · flashback · backstory
reel
Winding cylinder or dance
screening · celluloid · sprocket · canister · threading · playback · documentary · feature · archive · restoration
unwinds
Releases tension gradually
- unfurlsOpens from rolled position
- loosensDecreases tightness or tension
- uncoilsStraightens what was wound
unrolls · releases · extends · lengthens · streams · trails · cascades · tumbles · flows · spills
unspoolscompresses
Squeezes into less space
condenses · halts · withholds · conceals · abbreviates