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Definition of unreel

unreel

/ʌnˈriːl/
un · reel
Past Simple:unreeled
•
Past Participle:unreeled
•
Present Participle:unreeling
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unreel Lexical Profile

unreel Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To unwind or let out (thread, line, film, cable, or similar material) from, or as if from, a reel or spool.

Example

"The technician carefully unreeled fifty feet of fiber-optic cable along the trench."

2

To unfold, play out, or be recounted in a continuous sequence (of a story, memory, film, or series of events).

Example

"As they drove through the countryside, childhood memories unreeled in her mind like an old movie."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for unreel

• Nearby Words

unredeemable
unredeemed
unreduced
unreel
unrefined
unreflecting
unreflectingly

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in the late 16th century from the reversative prefix un- and the verb reel, which derives from Old English hrēol ('a device for winding yarn').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Unreel. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/unreel
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