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

The Gophers men’s basketball team shrugged off another bad-luck injury to add the latest chapter to its feel-good story on Saturday. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Feb. 2026

Markets tend to shrug off geopolitical tensions. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026

The tech kingpin also seemed to shrug off reports from within his own inner circle, according to documents produced in discovery, that warned a sizable section of users were under the age of 13. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026

In Delhi, Afghanistan shrugged off back-to-back defeats in its first two games to finally register a first win at the tournament, beating the United Arab Emirates by five wickets. —ABC News, 16 Feb. 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