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

Republicans have largely shrugged off the losses due to the elections being held in blue states, but some fear the momentum could continue into the midterms next year. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025

And some Republicans are shrugging off any one issue as being influential enough to tip the scales. —ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025

In Green Bay's case, Sunday's loss — to a Panthers team coming off a 31-point loss — wasn't one to simply shrug off as a bad day. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025

New York — The stock market rally has already defied expectations this year, shrugging off geopolitical strife, economic uncertainty and global trade tensions to reach fresh record highs. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 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