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 of shrug off

• 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

That shrugging off of the war was a common attitude among visitors to Boulevard City, organizers say. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

But Lula shrugged off those concerns and promised to work with the more conservative Congress to govern for all Brazilians. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Vance, campaigning Wednesday in Sharonville, Ohio, tried to shrug off questions about Ramaswamy’s ad. — Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

For their part, the Irish — who lobbied for the flag — shrugged off the no-call afterward, at least publicly. — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

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