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

Robust turf growth is often able to shrug off occasional grub pressure, so care well for your lawn by supplying necessary nutrients and water. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025

What’s strange is that the market appears to have shrugged off heavy loads that have been weighing it down since March. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 June 2025

Miners or environmentalists reported that some investigators seemed to shrug off reports of equipment failure or toxic pollution. —Laken Brooks, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

This method is almost instinctual for Gilroy, who shrugs off any mention of process, philosophy, or approach. —Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 23 June 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