1 B2 idiomatic neutral
to say a list of words, facts, or items quickly and fluently
"She reeled off the train times without looking at her notes."
separable
reel off
B2 neutral separable transitive
to say or produce a long series of things quickly and easily
In plain English
to say many things fast without stopping
What does "reel off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
to produce a series of successes, performances, or actions one after another
"The team reeled off six straight wins in April."
“
The Warriors reeled off 12 straight victories.
— Sports journalism formula
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to unwind something off a reel
Actually means
to say many things fast without stopping
Usage tip
Often used for names, numbers, facts, or excuses spoken rapidly from memory. It can suggest impressive ease or mechanical repetition.
Words that pair with "reel off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
names numbers facts statistics excuses answers
How to conjugate "reel off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
reel off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
reels off
he/she/it
Past simple
reeled off
yesterday
Past participle
reeled off
have + pp
-ing form
reeling off
continuous
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