shrugs off

verb

present tense third-person singular of shrug off
1
as in ignores
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 removes
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 shrugs off Wrapped in a tough, drop-proof fabric shell that floats and shrugs off water, it is engineered to survive real-world chaos. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 Turkey’s government insists its courts are independent as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shrugs off European rulings, a stance that has already fueled a diplomatic clash with Western ambassadors over Kavala’s detention. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The team shrugs off criticism that the end result was overbudget and overdue. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 20 June 2026 Once again, Rodrigo shrugs off concern. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 His Bear shrugs off advice from friends and co-workers Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sara (Megan Lawless) who notice that Nikki seems to get more unhinged by the minute. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026 Singh shrugs off the need for external validation. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 Rough blazing star shrugs off humidity but skip planting in spots where the soil stays soggy in the winter. — Erica Browne Grivas, Midwest Living, 1 May 2026 Even now, Dickinson shrugs off people who complain that recent Maiden albums like The Book of Souls and Senjutsu lean too progressive. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrugs off
  1. ignores
  2. removes
  3. forgives
  4. overlooks
  5. explains
  6. justifies
  7. passes over
  8. papers over
Verb
  • Any strategy that ignores that skepticism is unlikely to survive the next election or to be funded by the Congress that is likely to emerge from it.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But the unbridled embrace of aquaculture as a sustainable answer to feeding the planet ignores some very real costs.
    — Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignores
Verb
  • Sunday says the victims should feel satisfied that this plea removes the possibility that Vereb could be found not guilty by a jury.
    — Tory Wegerski, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Internet Archive removes recordings from the site when musicians ask, but hasn’t sought advance permission to share the music online.
    — Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of removes
Verb
  • After learning this, Ayad very quickly forgives this man who hit him.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Patrick Clancy forgives his ex-wife In the days after the tragedy, Patrick wrote tributes to each of his three children and decided to publicly forgive Lindsay.
    — Ross Douthat, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of forgives
Verb
  • The sunny front porch, which overlooks a community fountain and gazebo on a stretch of land that replicates a New England town green, only adds to its appeal.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Spanning more than 7,000 square feet across two floors, the Sanctuary store overlooks Victoria Dockside and is close to Rosewood Hotel, with which the activewear brand has an ongoing partnership.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of overlooks
Verb
  • Below, Bourne explains how and why Black in the British Frame fell out of print.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Which perhaps explains why people keep trying to run it back.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of explains
Verb
  • That’s precisely the work AI is best suited to automate, not the work that justifies a marketing department.
    — Richard Freisberg, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • These are electric cars, which apparently justifies a vaguely techy-sounding alphanumeric assemblage.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of justifies
Verb
  • The spacecraft must launch when the station’s orbital plane passes over the launch site.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • When the lead satellite passes over something big — for example, a glacier — the object’s gravity pulls the lead satellite faster, creating a larger, measurable gap between it and the follower satellite.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of passes over
Verb
  • But this surface difference papers over something more fundamentally shared.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
  • With ballots set to be printed this week, the issue was appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court on an expedited basis, with both sides filing court papers over the weekend.
    — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of papers over

Browse Nearby Words

shrugs
shrugs off
shrunk
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Cite this Entry

“Shrugs off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrugs%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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