rattle off

Idioms

Also, reel off. Utter or perform rapidly or effortlessly, often at length. For example, The treasurer rattled off the list of all those who had not paid their dues, or She reeled off song after song. The verb rattle has been used for fast talking since the late 1300s and for other kinds of fast production since the late 1800s (George Bernard Shaw wrote of “men who rattle off their copy” in a letter of 1896). The verb reel off, which alludes to unwinding from a reel, has been used figuratively since about 1830.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Try explaining that to a coach who has rattled off 29 victories with exactly zero losses.

From The Wall Street Journal

I allowed Opal to rattle off any ridiculous name she wanted.

From Literature

During the call, Chief Executive Brian Armstrong noted there was a prediction market tied to the call and rattled off a list of cryptocurrency buzzwords that traders were betting on.

From The Wall Street Journal

Liu can rattle off a list of everything she loves about it: the entrance to the triple salchow, the exit after the loop, the loop itself, the step sequence—and the ebullient finale.

From The Wall Street Journal

As they went off, Glory walked them out and rattled off instructions to Llewelyn to stay in the park across the street.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023