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
Subscribers largely shrugged off Harry’s Polo, which logged paltry 500,000 views to rank #3436.
—
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 July 2025
While stocks dropped on Friday, global markets had largely shrugged off Trump’s tariff threats this week.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
The news sent momentary jitters through equity markets, but stocks had shrugged off all uncertainty by midweek to march higher still.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 10 July 2025
In the same session, investors appeared to shrug off the latest tariff developments from President Donald Trump.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrug off
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 July 2025
While stocks dropped on Friday, global markets had largely shrugged off Trump’s tariff threats this week.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
The news sent momentary jitters through equity markets, but stocks had shrugged off all uncertainty by midweek to march higher still.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 10 July 2025
In the same session, investors appeared to shrug off the latest tariff developments from President Donald Trump.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrug off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrug off
Verb
-
Or Joe Biden when Putin ignored his warnings and invaded Ukraine in 2022.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Somehow the checkers are ignoring the fact that Trump was referring to the five-year period.—
John R. Lott Jr,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Kennedy has removed the 17 experts on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, replacing them with an anti-vaccine cadre of seven mostly unqualified individuals.—
Judy Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
In an attempt to simplify its offerings, OpenAI had initially removed all previous AI models from ChatGPT when GPT-5 launched on August 7, forcing users to adopt the new model without warning.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
You’d be forgiven if your moviegoing interest in the legacyquel — a clever term for a next-gen sequel to a popular, typically very nostalgic film that former IndieWire editor Matt Singer coined over a decade ago — has waned.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Can College Ave loans be forgiven? Private student loans from College Ave are not eligible for forgiveness.—
Adam Palasciano,
CNBC,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
An icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe keeps watch from the mantel; a painting of her cat wearing a crown overlooks her shelves and shelves of books.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The park has bathrooms, benches and a short boardwalk with a railing overlooking the beach.—
Bonnie Gross,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But even homes standing on safer grounds are seen as a dangerous investment by potential buyers, who are also put off by the prospect of higher maintenance costs and insurance limitations.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
-
As prices for new cars continue to rise, consumers are looking for ways to keep their current vehicle running and put off a purchase.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
Their offensive approach, Lindor explained, derived some from conversations with Little Leaguers about keeping it simple.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Here, Katie Bergstrom, a fitness trainer and yoga instructor, explains how to get started.—
Health Editorial Team,
Health,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Companies with high employee turnover, poor management structures or toxic cultures can get heavily discounted or passed over entirely.—
Keegan Caldwell,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
The eclipse began over the South Pacific Ocean and passed over Mexico before traveling directly over 13 U.S. states from Texas to Maine.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, it is used symbolically: to impress investors, manage employee morale, and justify corporate restructuring.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The military, which had previously ruled Myanmar with an iron fist for decades, sought to justify its takeover by alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which was won in a landslide by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrug off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrug%20off. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share