shrugging off

verb

present participle of shrug off
1
as in ignoring
to dismiss as of little importance an administration that was willing to shrug off the problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removing
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 shrugging off 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 The stock market surged over the first half of 2026, shrugging off a war in the Middle East, a historic oil shortage and fear of a bubble in artificial intelligence. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 June 2026 Lionel Messi showcased his legendary resilience, powering Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Iraq with two goals, shrugging off an early penalty kick miss. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 The bull market keeps shrugging off every reason to stop. — Benzinga, Freep.com, 23 May 2026 Trump has also lambasted members of the alliance for shrugging off requests to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, despite much of the oil that Europe relies on navigating through the waterway. — Haris Alic, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026 This suggests that Amodei believed Anthropic had more leverage on the Pentagon than the Pentagon had on it — the CEO of a company founded just five years ago shrugging off a threat from the world’s most powerful and best-funded entity. — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026 The Europeans are shrugging off these comments, if not ignoring them entirely. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrugging off
  1. ignoring
  2. removing
  3. overlooking
  4. putting off
  5. forgiving
  6. taking off
  7. passing over
  8. explaining
Verb
  • The suspect allegedly attempted to flee again by jumping fences and ignoring the officers’ commands to stop, but was apprehended and placed in custody.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 16 July 2026
  • Sometimes they’re manipulated into ignoring or suppressing their suspicions.
    — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of ignoring
Verb
  • Leaders add value by asking better questions, widening perspectives, connecting people, allocating resources and removing the obstacles that slow great work.
    — Brent McHugh, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The state added women to the workforce without removing men from their role as sole providers.
    — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • Occupying the landmark Carbide and Carbon Building, Chateau Carbide extends the hotel’s Art Deco character to an open-air rooftop overlooking Michigan Avenue and the historic Loop.
    — Taryn White, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Lynn, Mass About a half-hour from downtown Boston, this renovated two-bedroom condo is in an 1893 classical revival building overlooking Nahant Bay.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 20 July 2026
Definition of overlooking
Verb
  • Home Depot and Lowe’s both told investors this year that homeowners are putting off larger home improvement projects – those often associated with fixer-upper homes.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Across the country, park agencies struggling with these dire conditions are responding by putting off maintenance for trails and forests to save money, said Ray.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of putting off
Verb
  • Instead, as Laura bugs her sister long enough about just forgiving her already, Mary explodes.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • Consumers are remarkably forgiving when expectations are managed honestly.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of forgiving
Verb
  • As food costs and supply chain disruptions caused prices at grocery stores to soar, the number of backyard growers and micro-farmers is rapidly taking off across the state.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • The recruiting process is taking off for Benet star Edvardas Stasys.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of taking off
Verb
  • With eclipses passing over the country three years in a row, Spain is well on its way to cementing its reputation as a premier astrotourism destination.
    — Catherine Tansey, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 July 2026
  • The center of Super Typhoon Bavi, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, was passing over Rota, an island of 2,000 people in the Northern Mariana Islands.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of passing over
Verb
  • Try explaining to the average Chicago taxpayer that the city is reacquiring its meters but very little will change on the streets.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • John Buse of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill took his place, explaining the situation to attendees in remarks critical of the ADA’s actions.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Definition of explaining

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Cite this Entry

“Shrugging off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrugging%20off. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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