as in wave
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Recent Examples of shrug
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Stu Forster/Getty Images There was a period before Christmas when the prospect of Ibrahima Konate leaving Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the season would have been greeted with a collective shrug among the fanbase.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Melvin’s childhood friends and business associates look away, scratch their heads, and shrug their shoulders when asked the obvious question.
—Aliya S. King, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrug
Noun
There’s plenty of evidence from the past year to support that theory, from the ouster of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, to attacks on Russian shadow fleet vessels by Ukrainian special forces, to the brief Israel-Iran conflict last summer, all of which produced a collective shrug from oil traders.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Stu Forster/Getty Images There was a period before Christmas when the prospect of Ibrahima Konate leaving Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the season would have been greeted with a collective shrug among the fanbase.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
In the years since 2004’s Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Penn’s carved out a niche embodying big-talking, attention-grabbing rascals who say inappropriate things, then shrug their way through the consequences.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Melvin’s childhood friends and business associates look away, scratch their heads, and shrug their shoulders when asked the obvious question.
—Aliya S. King, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrug
Noun
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Yamaha joins a wave of major corporations fleeing California, including Tesla, In-N-Out and Chevron, citing costly regulations and unfavorable business conditions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Most intense day of strikes so far US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday marked the most aggressive wave of attacks inside Iran since the start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the fact that employees still showed up, including without pay during last year’s federal government shutdown, demonstrates their commitment to keeping the beloved parks flourishing.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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After more than 30 years, Wimberley Glassworks still flourishes and its gallery is bursting with color—plates in kaleidoscopic shades, delicate pieces glowing brightly on tables, sculptures fanning out in rainbows over the walls, as if outraged by the white paint.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From the haunting coastline of Namibia to off-road adventures in Iceland, let the 13 trips ahead inform your next adventure.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
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Instead of publishing that letter, Guerra said the state Democratic Party should have gone straight to releasing the VOTER Index and framing it simply as an opportunity to inform voters about the state of the race for governor.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Su Yu-hsuan scored the decisive goal in the 26th minute after Saki Matsunaga’s shot hit the crossbar, leaving Su to nod the rebound into an empty net for the team which won the last of its three Asian Cup titles in 1981.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Matos, Oliva and Bericoto made the most of their starting nods in Friday’s 6-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Impala Platinum has opened formal talks with Zimbabwe’s central bank and lined up meetings with both the South African and Zimbabwean governments to press for clarity on Harare’s export-earnings policy, its CEO told Semafor, escalating a commercial cash-flow dispute into bilateral negotiations.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Broncos also informed Greenlaw of his release, a source said, leaving Singleton and Strnad once again atop position group Greenlaw was signed 12 months ago to upgrade.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
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The bar charged Salar Hendizadeh, who left the firm this fall, on March 5 with helping one of Southern California’s largest personal injury law firms sign accident victims across the country, despite lacking attorneys who could litigate the cases in other states.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite their similar last names, the victim and suspect are not related, the source added.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
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While not exactly movie-related, Funko is famous for its Pops—small collectible figures known for their exaggerated features.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrug. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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