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 of reel off

• recite
• memorize

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

Wakeland had reeled off 9 shots by 8 different players before the Mustangs took their first shot, on goal, in the 31st minute. —Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2026

After their most precipitous plummet, a nine-game freefall, the Ducks reeled off seven straight wins sans some of the biggest producers. —Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026

Down 112-100 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the fourth, the Bucks reeled off eight straight to close within four on two free throws by Dieng. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

Then Illinois reeled off seven straight points, with Wallace’s two free throws giving the Illini their biggest lead at 45-36. —Teresa M. Walker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reel off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

reel off

verb

: to tell or recite rapidly and easily

reeled off the right answers