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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Paris team then reeled off four consecutive clean sheets, including a 4-0 rout of Inter Miami CF in the Round of 16 and a 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the July 9 semifinals. Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Before Wales’ women’s teams were given names on the back of their shirts in 2019, Fishlock’s was the one people could reel off, a byword for Welsh women’s football. Megan Feringa, New York Times, 10 July 2025 This commitment is clear in the enthusiasm with which Loewenberg reels off canonical titles (by Shakespeare, Jane Austen and John Steinbeck). Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025 If SpaceX can reel off a series of successful Starship flights, the hazard areas will likely shrink in size. John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for reel off

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reel off was in 1837

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Cite this Entry

“Reel off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reel%20off. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

reel off

verb
: to tell or recite rapidly and easily
reeled off the right answers

More from Merriam-Webster on reel off

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