1
as in ignoring
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 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
Senate Republicans plan to vote on a government funding package as soon as Thursday, shrugging off Democrats’ vows to filibuster the legislation unless DHS funding is removed and amended after two fatal Minnesota shootings.
—
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Stocks closed higher on Monday, shrugging off a dip earlier in the day after reports of the DOJ probe into Powell.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2026
Stock market investors for now are shrugging off the Justice Department’s investigation into Powell.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Both gave way to Phoenix’s limitless fourth-quarter responses, shrugging off Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s late shot-making, as well as the Thunder’s late turn to small ball.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Warriors took down the Nuggets, 137-131, on Thursday, clawing their way back from a 14-point crater, surviving a 50-point explosion from San Jose’s Aaron Gordon, and somehow shrugging off yet another triple-double from Jokic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, WBD is shrugging off the downturn, up a hair to near $18, continuing to be buoyed by takeover talk.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
With many shrugging off such transcriptionists inside the office, etiquette around recording outside the office is fraying.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Indonesia still ranks among the more stable emerging markets, Howe said, shrugging off impact from the demonstrations as a near-term setback.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Stocks closed higher on Monday, shrugging off a dip earlier in the day after reports of the DOJ probe into Powell.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2026
Stock market investors for now are shrugging off the Justice Department’s investigation into Powell.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Both gave way to Phoenix’s limitless fourth-quarter responses, shrugging off Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s late shot-making, as well as the Thunder’s late turn to small ball.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Warriors took down the Nuggets, 137-131, on Thursday, clawing their way back from a 14-point crater, surviving a 50-point explosion from San Jose’s Aaron Gordon, and somehow shrugging off yet another triple-double from Jokic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, WBD is shrugging off the downturn, up a hair to near $18, continuing to be buoyed by takeover talk.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
With many shrugging off such transcriptionists inside the office, etiquette around recording outside the office is fraying.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Indonesia still ranks among the more stable emerging markets, Howe said, shrugging off impact from the demonstrations as a near-term setback.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrugging off
Verb
-
Some readers refuse to join one, stubbornly persisting in flipping to one section and ignoring the rest.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Hustle culture praised women for ignoring their instincts in the name of productivity.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Repairs to the balcony included removing and replacing rotten support beams, according to an invoice from Ameridian.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
But research from both academics and conservative groups suggests removing undocumented immigrants from the census would shift only a handful of seats — not the sweeping advantage critics claim.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Japan romantics may be overlooking some clear drawbacks, however, including the 30 years of economic struggles that followed the bursting of a truly epic bubble in the 1990s.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The centerpiece of the 13-acre-plus parkland is a curved bridge overlooking a savanna, allowing elephants to walk under guests.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The standings aren’t forgiving.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Point is, this recipe is forgiving.—
Leah Donnella,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Among life’s great procrastinations, putting off making a will seems to top insignificant things like delaying cleaning the house or starting a homework assignment.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Mahomes on Wednesday accidentally got Chiefs fans excited about Kelce putting off retirement and returning for one more season.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The software simulates wind passing over the avatar, computational fluid dynamics calculate how much resistance there is — and how tweaking a skater’s form alters that.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Alarmists will often focus on the negative while passing over potential positive outcomes.—
Jeff Mayhugh,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As to why the buildout is taking off, Thill said that, given today’s demand for AI data centers, the only concern among tech firms is the risk of not doing enough.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Mourinho had already made all of his substitutions, including taking off his entire front four, trying to see out a win.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In between explaining the Capex increase, executives on Wednesday's call played up AI wins from the quarter.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Now, Mikayla offers some clarification on what was actually going on in the video, explaining to PEOPLE that this video was taken 24 hours after baby Callum was born.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrugging off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrugging%20off. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
