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

Not upsetting Beijing Washington is unlikely to raise tensions and upset Beijing ahead of next week's summit, while China is expected to shrug off efforts aimed at curbing oil purchases, according to analysts. — Anniek Bao,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Pelvic floor training, long shrugged off as a women’s thing, has become one of the more interesting frontiers in men’s health, with real data behind it for erectile function, ejaculation control, bladder issues and post-prostate-surgery recovery. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026

But on Tuesday, senators failed to advance the firms’ top legislative priority, shrugging off the threat of tens of millions of dollars that still could hit them this fall. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Over the years, Ovechkin has largely shrugged off criticism of his backing of Putin. — Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 15 Sep. 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