reel off

verb

reeled off; reeling off; reels off

transitive verb

1

: to tell or recite readily and usually at length

reel off a few jokes to break the ice

2

: to chalk up usually as a series

Synonyms

• recite
• repeat
• say

Examples of reel off in a Sentence

he's able to reel off the names of all the U.S. presidents, in historical order and without pausing

her friend proceeded to reel off the roster of losers that she had dated over the years

Recent Examples on the Web

Perhaps recognizing that his previous tax cut lacked populist appeal, the former president has spent the summer reeling off new tax-cut proposals — promising to exempt tips, Social Security benefits and overtime pay from federal taxes. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024

Statistically, Pegula reeled off 12 of the last 16 games, but it was never handed to her. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024

After losing the season opener to the Lions, the Chiefs reeled off six straight wins. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2024

But then the Americans reeled off an impressive five straight wins, beating Spain 17-11, France 14-13 and Canada 18-17 and China 14-12. —Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

reel off

verb

: to tell or recite rapidly and easily

reeled off the right answers