shrugged; shrugging
: to raise or draw in the shoulders especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty
: to lift or contract (the shoulders) especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty
Examples of shrug in a Sentence
Verb
I asked if he wanted to go out to dinner, and he just shrugged.
He just shrugged his shoulders.
Recent Examples on the Web
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Deborah, ever the die-hard capitalist, shrugs her off.
—Caroline Framke, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Douglas Gregory, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Interest is surging in the tiny, bulbous legumes sometimes met with a shrug, as more Americans increasingly seek out cheap, healthy and inventive food.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrug
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Verb
Royle shrugged and told him not to waste time apologising, that players had let him down before and would do so again.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Deborah, ever the die-hard capitalist, shrugs her off.
—Caroline Framke, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Noun
And too often, the honest answer is a shrug.
—Douglas Gregory, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Interest is surging in the tiny, bulbous legumes sometimes met with a shrug, as more Americans increasingly seek out cheap, healthy and inventive food.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrug
Cite this Entry
“Shrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrug. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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