laugh off

verb

Definition of laugh offnext
as in to minimize

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of laugh off Continue reading … HOT AIR – AOC tries to laugh off 'crazy' woke era as thing of the past, but conservatives aren't amused. — FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Though Blakely was able to laugh off the mistake, the damage would be significant. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Prince William laughed off the question from Heart Breakfast hosts Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026 The casual references to him as a billionaire, however, is one gibe that Lamont laughs off. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laugh off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laugh off
  1. minimize
  2. play down
  3. shrug off
  4. discount
  5. undervalue
  6. belittle
  7. underrate
Verb
  • The Bonding Shampoo gently cleanses hair and scalp, while the Hair Bonding Treatment delivers a more intensive dose of the brand’s Peptide-132 complex to help strengthen damaged strands and minimize breakage and split ends.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Federal wildlife managers euthanized 28,000 animals in California in 2025 and dispersed about 1 million more as part of a nationwide program meant to control invasive species and minimize danger to people, pets and livestock, new data shows.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimize
Verb
  • Russia's government played down concerns Monday sparked by media reports that a female scientist in Siberia might have died of exposure to the plague after a lab accident.
    — Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • So there’s a chance to get some plays down the field for the Panthers.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of play down
Verb
  • Barclays strategists argue the market could even shrug off a one percentage point rise in rates.
    — Daren Fonda, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The president has sought to shrug off concerns about affordability, claiming the economy is booming.
    — Melissa Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrug off
Verb
  • In contrast, some discount the 1960s dates and consider the start to be 1972, when the ZANLA insurgency began a new, more intense level of guerrilla fighting.
    — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
  • And while radio and streaming usually end up being bigger and more consequential parts of the Hot 100’s three-component formula in 2026, the third component — digital song sales — shouldn’t be discounted either.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of discount
Verb
  • The Cubs have been able to find pitchers who were undervalued over the years and maximize their talent, but at some point, there needs to be more certainty.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • To call the poems poignant would be to undervalue their direct power.
    — Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of undervalue
Verb
  • And yet, these same commentators who proudly belittle Clark and Cunningham continue to claim that Black lesbian women are the ones the sports media relentlessly targets.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • People who post puerile, profane or belittling comments are protesters on a virtual street.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of belittle
Verb
  • The thing people always underrate about the 2000s is how many of us were not going to the movies to feel good.
    — Darren Franich, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Amazon’s jewelry selection is hugely underrated, in my humble opinion, and this $10 layered necklace is a pretty good example of why.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of underrate

Browse Nearby Words

laughingstocks
laugh off
laughs
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Cite this Entry

“Laugh off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laugh%20off. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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