shrug off

verb

shrugged off; shrugging off; shrugs off
Synonyms of shrug offnext

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That such a blunder might be shrugged off and even celebrated, rather than shamefully shunted away, struck Schuch as a very American notion. Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 The lean frame and durability questions are part of the deal, but the takeaway production is hard to shrug off. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 While economists say China has largely shrugged off the initial impacts of the Iran war, some are warning its massive export engine could be hit more significantly in the coming months on slower global economic growth. Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026 Of course, were the Strait of Hormuz blockade to stand alone, the damage might be easy to shrug off. Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrug off

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrug off was in 1902

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shrug off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrug%20off. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

shrug off

verb
1
: to brush aside as not important
2
: to take off (a garment) by wriggling out
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