laughing off

verb

present participle of laugh off
as in shrugging off

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughing off
  1. shrugging off
  2. playing down
  3. minimizing
  4. belittling
  5. undervaluing
Verb
  • Publicly, the White House is shrugging off the legal setbacks.
    — Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
  • Paul said, referring to an interview Edwards did several years ago shrugging off the Phoenix Suns’ addition of Kevin Durant.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of shrugging off
Verb
  • If a team has one or zero subs left, a red-card offence would result in them playing down a man.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Mexico pledged to investigate the origins of the parasite outbreak, while playing down the idea that contamination occurred in its territory.
    — Jaewon Kang, Fortune, 18 July 2026
Definition of playing down
Verb
  • Key decision-makers did not make sufficient use of the extensive expertise across the Defense Department to guide the Israeli military on how make gains against Hamas while minimizing civilian harm in Gaza’s dense urban environments.
    — Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Below, Forbes Human Resources Council members share strategies for encouraging healthier peer feedback while minimizing conflict and fostering a more collaborative workplace.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of minimizing
Verb
  • The list of analysts who have spent years belittling Allen is extensive.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
  • The remark was meant to be an insult, belittling a company that seemed to care more about hardware profit margins than design and innovation.
    — Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 28 May 2026
Definition of belittling
Verb
  • Stop undervaluing yourself, period.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
  • For most of their history, the Panthers have gotten by with mediocre safeties, undervaluing a position that can be manned by a real game-changer.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of undervaluing
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
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Cite this Entry

“Laughing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughing%20off. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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