unreel

unreel — verb

  • unreelpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • unreels3rd person singular
  • unreeling-ing form
  • unreeledpast simple

1. to pull or release a length of material such as film, thread, or rope from the c

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to pull or release a length of material such as film, thread, or rope from the cylindrical spool that it is wound around

Example

Daniel carefully unreeled the fishing line from the old wooden spool by the dock.

unreel + object (fishing line) from + location

The projectionist unreeled the film and checked each frame for scratches before the screening.

Common collocations
  • unreel fishing line
  • unreel film
  • unreel rope
  • unreel thread
  • unreel hose
  • unreel from a spool
  • unreel across the floor
Synonyms
  • unwind

    more general; can describe any coiled material coming loose, not only from a reel

  • unroll

    used when material is rolled into a cylinder, not wound on a spool

  • unspool

    specific to film or tape wound on a spool; more technical

Antonyms
  • reel

    to wind something onto a spool

  • wind

    general opposite of unwind

Grammar Patterns

unreel + object (film, thread, rope, line)

Usage Note

Object is typically a length of flexible material — fishing line, film, thread, rope, cable, or hose. Use 'from' or 'across' to specify source or destination.

Common Mistakes

He unreeled the knot in the rope.
He untangled the knot in the rope.
'unreel' means to unwind from a spool, not to undo a knot.
She unraveled the film from the spool.
She unreeled the film from the spool.
'unravel' means threads come apart; 'unreel' means smooth unwinding from a cylinder.

2. to carry out a series of connected actions or events in a smooth, highly effecti

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to carry out a series of connected actions or events in a smooth, highly effective way — for example, a sports team unreeling a string of victories

Example

The Tigers unreeled five straight wins before the championship game in November.

unreel + number + straight + noun (wins/victories)

Salma unreeled an impressive series of sales figures for the final quarter of the year.

Common collocations
  • unreel a winning streak
  • unreel victories
  • unreel a performance
  • unreel a series
Synonyms
  • notch up

    less formal; focuses on accumulating wins or points

  • rattle off

    can apply to both performances and speech; slightly more informal

  • accomplish

    more general; does not convey the sense of smooth sequence

Grammar Patterns

unreel + noun phrase (a streak, a series, a run)

Usage Note

Object is always a series of successes (a streak, run, series) or a display of skill. Subject is typically a person, team, or organization. Common in sports journalism and business writing.

Common Mistakes

The team unreeled a single goal.
The team unreeled a string of goals.
'unreel' suggests a series, not a single event.
He unreeled the award.
He won the award.
'unreel' describes a process or run of successes, not the achievement itself.

3. to say or produce facts, names, or other pieces of information quickly and easil

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to say or produce facts, names, or other pieces of information quickly and easily, as if reading from a list that unwinds in your mind

Example

Grandpa Otis could unreel the names of every American president without pausing for breath.

unreel + noun phrase + without pausing / stopping

Folake unreeled the entire poem from memory at the school talent show.

Common collocations
  • unreel a list
  • unreel names
  • unreel facts
  • unreel details
  • unreel a poem
  • unreel from memory
Synonyms
  • reel off

    the more common idiom; interchangeable in most contexts

  • rattle off

    more informal; suggests speed and casualness

  • recite

    more formal; does not suggest effortless speed

Grammar Patterns

unreel + noun phrase (list, names, facts, poem)

Usage Note

Object is memorized or well-known information — a list, facts, names, dates, a poem, a speech. The sense overlaps with 'reel off' and is used similarly in informal contexts.

Common Mistakes

She unreeled a long conversation.
She unreeled a long list of excuses.
'unreel' in this sense applies to one-way production of information, not dialogue.
He unreeled the answer to the question.
He gave the answer.
Use 'unreel' only when the output is a series, not a single item.

4. to become loosened and come off the spool or cylinder that something was wound a

4.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to become loosened and come off the spool or cylinder that something was wound around, usually by accident or because of its own weight

Example

The film suddenly unreeled and spilled across the editing room floor in a tangled mess.

The blue thread unreeled from the spool and wrapped itself around the sewing machine pedal.

subject + unreels + from + location

Common collocations
  • unreel from the spool
  • unreel inside
  • unreel across
  • film unreels
  • tape unreels
  • thread unreels
Synonyms
  • unwind

    more common; can be transitive or intransitive for most materials

  • unspool

    specifically for tape or film; less common overall

Antonyms
  • wind

    to wrap around a spool or cylinder

Grammar Patterns

subject + unreels

Usage Note

Subject is the material that was wound — film, tape, thread, rope. Often implies accidental or unintended unwinding. Distinguish from sense 1 (transitive, deliberate action) by checking whether the subject does the action or receives it.

Common Mistakes

The spool unreeled the thread.
The thread unreeled from the spool.
The material is the subject; the spool is the source.
She unreeled accidentally.
The film unreeled accidentally.
In the intransitive sense, the material unreels, not the person.

5. to be shown, told, or made known in a gradual, step-by-step way — for example, a

5.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to be shown, told, or made known in a gradual, step-by-step way — for example, a story unreeling scene by scene, or a landscape appearing as you travel

Example

The mystery unreeled scene by scene, keeping the audience guessing until the final credits.

subject + unreels + scene by scene / bit by bit / gradually

The family history unreeled before Folake as she read old letters in the attic.

Common collocations
  • story unreels
  • scene unreels
  • landscape unreels
  • memory unreels
  • documentary unreels
  • unreel before
  • unreel scene by scene
  • unreel in detail
Synonyms
  • unfold

    more common; wider range of contexts, both literal and figurative

  • develop

    focuses on progression rather than the revealing aspect

  • emerge

    suggests something coming into view or becoming known

Grammar Patterns

subject (story, scene, events) + unreels

Usage Note

Subject is a narrative (story, plot, documentary), a view (landscape, panorama), or a flow of experience (memory, history). Frequently used with phrases like 'before the eyes of', 'scene by scene', or 'in vivid detail'. Literary or film-review register.

Common Mistakes

The story unreeled quickly and then stopped.
The story unreeled gradually over several chapters.
'unreel' emphasises step-by-step unfolding, not speed.
He unreeled his life story to the stranger.
His life story unreeled as he talked about his past.
This sense is intransitive; the story unreels, not the person.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words describe the act of releasing something from a coiled or rolled state, but they differ in the shape of the thing being released. 'Unwind' is the broadest term: you can unwind a garden hose, a story, your nerves, or a spool of thread — it works for both literal and figurative contexts. 'Unroll' applies specifically to material that has been rolled into a cylinder shape, such as a carpet, a poster, or a sleeping bag; it does not work for a spool-and-reel mechanism. 'Unspool' is the most technical of the three, used mainly for film, magnetic tape, or computer filament that is wound on a spool. 'Unreel' sits between 'unwind' and 'unspool': like 'unspool', it strongly suggests a reel or spool as the source, but it is also used figuratively (a team unreels victories) in ways that 'unspool' is not. For everyday household objects (hose, rope, thread), 'unwind' is the safest choice; for film and tape, 'unspool' and 'unreel' are equally natural.

unwind ↗unroll ↗unspool ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'reverse of') to the noun 'reel', which comes from Old English 'hrēol' (a revolving spool for winding thread). The literal sense — to unwind from a spool — dates back to the 17th century. The figurative senses (performing successfully, reciting effortlessly, unfolding gradually) all developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, extending the image of a smooth, continuous unwinding to abstract sequences of events, speech, or narrative.

First known use

1567

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1