shrug 1 of 2

Definition of shrugnext

shrug

2 of 2

verb

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 shrug
Noun
Asked how exactly the group came together, Godrich and Harrison look at each other across a picnic table and shrug. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 The bolero, a hyper-cropped layer that’s one step away from a shrug, gets zero respect. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
Now, on the face of it, this might be the sort of situation where the casual fan might shrug and make some sort of comment about ‘tacticos’ overcomplicating the game. — Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Once, when the curd did not set, Jaya Aunty did not do what Nidhi’s mother would have done—namely, shrug her shoulders and nip out to the store for a couple of squishy packets. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrug
Noun
  • Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through Thursday night, with heavy rainfall in waves that could lead to flooding along area rivers, creeks and streams, the National Weather Service said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The science is real but narrower than the marketing suggests, and the gap between the two is about to shape the next wave of skincare launches.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But the fecundity of the land is no match for the Trasks’ failure to flourish.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv have flourished in the five years since the United Arab Emirates and Israel normalized relations in 2020, analysts say.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • At the opening, Lafayette 148 NorthPark will feature its fall 2026 collection, including exclusive leather colorways created for Dallas, precise tailoring and signature white shirts informed by the archives and three decades of craftsmanship.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Livia’s unease informs her skepticism of politics; in linking the two, Kingsolver conflates class and culture, using the former as an excuse for what really just seems to be Livia’s constitutional conservatism.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Laura nodded, and the two of them found conjoined desks at the very front of the classroom.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In Lloyd’s production, the action climaxes with Benedick and Beatrice in an encounter that nods to Dirty Dancing.
    — Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Serena tells him his former boss Elliott Wyatt recommended him highly, which is strange given his former reticence.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • After the election, legislating is an obvious place to go, given the public and many lawmakers in both parties want to see something done, the tech industry source told Semafor.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Amodei and the leaders of Google, Meta, OpenAI, X and Nvidia signed the agreement.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The probe, which comes one day after top tech leaders signed a self-regulatory AI accord at the White House, could compel tech CEOs to testify before Congress.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Asea was first arrested in April on stalking and computer-related allegations, but prosecutors dropped those charges in May before bringing a computer-access charge in September, court records show.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Police and prosecutors said Joshua Kerry, 28, had been charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between May 2024 and July this year, saying that these related in part to Farage.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrug. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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