shrug off

verb

shrugged off; shrugging off; shrugs off

transitive verb

1

: to shake off

shrugging off sleep

2

: to brush aside : minimize

shrugs off the problem

3

: to remove (a garment) by wriggling out

Synonyms

• blink (at)
• brush (aside or off)
• condone
• discount
• disregard
• excuse
• forgive
• gloss (over)
• gloze (over)
• ignore
• overlook
• overpass
• paper over
• pardon
• pass over
• remit
• whitewash
• wink (at)

Examples of shrug off in a Sentence

an administration that was willing to shrug off the problem

she shrugged off her coat and hung it up neatly

Recent Examples on the Web

That same year, Rodrigo shrugged off rumors of a feud between the two. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 June 2025

The Cuomo campaign has shrugged off the cross-endorsements and calls from groups to not rank the former governor. —Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 17 June 2025

Europe stocks rise and shrug off the Israel-Iran conflict European stock markets rose, shrugging off the Israel-Iran conflict. —Jenni Reid,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 June 2025

Suggesting that Northwestern University should shrug off $790 million in federal research funds being cut by using its endowment to cover those expenses shows a profound lack of knowledge about how higher education research funding and endowments work. —Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shrug off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

shrug off

verb

1

: to brush aside as not important

2

: to take off (a garment) by wriggling out