shrug off
verb
shrugged off; shrugging off; shrugs off
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
In the mid-20th century, especially, measles was often shrugged off.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Adelman, 86, is known for his casual approach, shrugging off the pomp that usually comes with his position.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
This isn’t something Reid can shrug off as just needing to clean up a few things and being oh-so-close.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Dec. 2025
Jin shrugs off these criticisms.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrug off
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.
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Adelman, 86, is known for his casual approach, shrugging off the pomp that usually comes with his position.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
This isn’t something Reid can shrug off as just needing to clean up a few things and being oh-so-close.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Dec. 2025
Jin shrugs off these criticisms.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrug off
Cite this Entry
“Shrug off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrug%20off. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share