1 B2 neutral
to unwind rope, line, cable, or similar material and let it out
"They reeled out more cable as the boat moved away from the dock."
separable
reel out
C1 neutral separable transitive
to unwind and let something out, or to speak or produce something in a long flowing way
In plain English
to let something come out bit by bit, or to say a lot of things one after another
What does "reel out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
to say or tell something in a long, continuous, or mechanical way
"He reeled out the same explanation he gives every time he's late."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to unwind something out from a reel
Actually means
to let something come out bit by bit, or to say a lot of things one after another
Usage tip
This is less common than 'reel off'. It is used literally for rope, wire, or line, and figuratively for words or stories.
Words that pair with "reel out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
line rope cable story speech details
How to conjugate "reel out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
reel out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
reels out
he/she/it
Past simple
reeled out
yesterday
Past participle
reeled out
have + pp
-ing form
reeling out
continuous
Hear "reel out" in the wild
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