1
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance
an administration that was willing to shrug off the problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to remove
to rid oneself of (a garment)
she shrugged off her coat and hung it up neatly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 off
The Helix Nebula is composed of stellar material shrugged off by a dying star as its outer layers were blasted away and its core collapsed to form a dense stellar remnant called a white dwarf.
—
Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Some may shrug off the figure of 100 million as an example of Trumpian exaggeration spilling into the ranks of the government’s social-media posters.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Bell shrugged off the suggestion at first but came around and began training for it with her coaches.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2026
For years, those glitches have been shrugged off as an unavoidable reality of remote work.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrug off
Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Some may shrug off the figure of 100 million as an example of Trumpian exaggeration spilling into the ranks of the government’s social-media posters.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Bell shrugged off the suggestion at first but came around and began training for it with her coaches.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2026
For years, those glitches have been shrugged off as an unavoidable reality of remote work.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrug off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrug off
Verb
-
And ignoring that fact is now no longer a laughing matter.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
All of these teens had in fact ignored their notices to appear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But videos of the incident do not show Pretti brandishing a gun, and one video appears to show an officer removing a gun from Pretti's waistband just moments before another agent fired the first shot.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Once clear, the groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with one preloaded with Ploutus, or connecting an external device, such as a thumb drive, to deploy the malware.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But with performances like this, he could be forgiven for allowing his thoughts to drift briefly towards the summer in North America.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This is a powerful time to release emotional baggage and forgive yourself for past choices.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, don't overlook the kitchen and laundry room, which can also be prone to soap scum.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The ranch overlooks the 5,000-acre Ramona Grasslands Nature Preserve, which is under the stewardship of San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the city has put off issuing citations for parking violations.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gabbard has not explained her involvement in the case herself.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
-
On Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan also reemerges as a restless, sometimes cordial, often corrosive analyst, agreeing at last to engage—if not fully to explain—the whats, hows, and, possibly whys of his creative life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Added on passes over 20 air yards in the regular season, leading the NFL.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The more cool air that passes over the hot liquid, the faster the tea cools.—
Katie Landeck,
The Providence Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Howard, who had served as a second lieutenant with the Ninety‑Second Division, 366th Infantry in France during World War I, accused President Truman of using the Cold War to justify a sweeping peacetime expansion of America’s global military footprint.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
And yet Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claims that the agents were justified despite evidence so clear that it can be found unedited on YouTube.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrug off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrug%20off. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
