LAUGHING OFF Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

laughing off

verb

present participle of laugh off

as in shrugging off

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughing off

Verb

But on Tuesday, senators failed to advance the firms’ top legislative priority, shrugging off the threat of tens of millions of dollars that still could hit them this fall.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Part of it is that more women are speaking up about hair loss, shrugging off the stigma and reaching out for help.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of shrugging off

Verb

Mudryk, a right-footed forward best known for playing down the left, is among Leeds’ preferred options and talks are ongoing with Chelsea, despite an initial knock-back.

— Beren Cross, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
In response to the concerns, companies including Amazon and Microsoft have been playing down the issue, saying the data center water use can be done responsibly, or sourced from wastewater.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of playing down

Verb

Take Out As Much Risk As Possible Ultimately, scaling a local service business comes down to maximizing value while minimizing uncertainty.

— David Cozzens, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Adopting strong, common-sense building codes for large buildings and minimizing cuts to energy efficiency should be a no-brainer to anyone seeking to follow Moore’s directive.

— Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

Though Paulina typically spends her days belittling her friends and humiliating Nana, presently, her focus is on something grander.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Trump, who seems to enjoy belittling reporters more than most other aspects of his job, lives for television coverage.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of belittling

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.

Browse Nearby Words

laughingly

laughing off

laughingstock

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Laughing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughing%20off. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of laughing off

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes