rattle off

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

In a topsy-turvy opening set, the six-time major champion Alcaraz raced into a 3-0 lead, only for De Minaur to rattle off three games in a row for 3-3, to roars of approval.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

He became the first pitcher to rattle off back-to-back complete games in the playoffs since 2001.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

I had a mortgage calculator on my phone, and I’d rattle off what a monthly payment might be on whatever house we were scheduled to see, the anticipation like static electricity.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2025

The leaders rattle off a 10k while chatting casually.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2024

While the two girls continued primping and posing for the camera, Dr. Zinchenko came back on-screen to quickly rattle off some final words.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein