shrug off

verb

shrugged off; shrugging off; shrugs off

transitive verb

1

: to shake off

shrugging off sleep

2

: to brush aside : minimize

shrugs off the problem

3

: to remove (a garment) by wriggling out

Synonyms

• ignore
• forgive
• overlook
• explain
• pass over
• justify

Examples of shrug off in a Sentence

an administration that was willing to shrug off the problem

she shrugged off her coat and hung it up neatly

Recent Examples on the Web

Chase shrugged off the tradition embraced by the League of compelling students to begin painting using antique objects as models. —Anne Halsey, JSTOR Daily, 6 Aug. 2025

After some market volatility in the spring, investors have largely shrugged off Trump's tariffs. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2025

Investors have largely shrugged off fears of a regulatory crackdown on Pop Mart, which counts Gen Zers and millennials, rather than young children, as main consumer demographic. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 July 2025

Butler shrugged off the email and its claims, telling Crooks it had been written by a former intern with an ax to grind. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 23 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shrug off

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

Kids Definition

shrug off

verb

1

: to brush aside as not important

2

: to take off (a garment) by wriggling out