SHRUG OFF Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

shrug off

verb

Definition of shrug off

as in to ignore

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

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 In all of the noise surrounding any American election, one aspect of a political candidate's history noticed by some, shrugged off or ignored by others while being put front and center by a few, is the person's ethnic heritage or race. — D.l. Davis, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Those ostensible allies shrugged off criticism of their destructive interventions in Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Trump, now shrugging off concerns about the threat posed to those who remained aboard the plane he was supposed to be on. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Some fans who saw the footage largely shrugged off Miller’s protest. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrug off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrug off

Verb

The stock that spent two years being ignored by the same investors who loaded up on Hilton and Marriott is now having its moment.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Alicia McCalla, 56, a fiction writer who has been doing voice work for five years out of her home in Atlanta, decided to ignore union suggestions and clone her voice.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignore

Verb

In sick bay, M’Benga tries to remove the table and end his life so Chapel can give up on him, an effort that proves futile.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Though your home may have its share of appliances, mail, mugs, or anything else that lives on your countertops daily, they should be removed before listing.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

Those visitors might have been forgiven for wondering what a building that looked like the Starship Enterprise had to do with national self-determination.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
Any remaining eligible balance may be forgiven after 25 years of qualifying payments.

— Maya Benjamin,Dan Avery, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of forgive

Verb

Log temples atop the mounds overlooked wide plazas for ball games, ceremonies, and open-air markets.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
For a luxury upgrade, consider the One&Only Cape Town, Cape Town’s premier urban resort with a bar and lounge that directly overlooks Table Mountain.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of overlook

Verb

One of the questions, directed to David Hunt, director of finance for Entergy Arkansas, asks him to explain the reasoning for the classification of the payments.

— Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
Bernadette explains the racial nuances the Guardians might not know as newcomers to Earth, echoing the landmark 1971 Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series, which attempts to bring the space cops down to Earth by exposing them to racial strife.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

He’s particularly drawn to episodes that are discomforting for his countrymen—the Dreyfus Affair, and, a recent obsession, French accommodation in Nazi rule during the Occupation, a national embarrassment that was long passed over in silence.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Shortly after being passed over, she was presented with Alias.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of pass over

Verb

Long-term resource potential Technical performance alone cannot justify a project; economic balance governs actual field deployment.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
The prosecution and defense both gave closing arguments Tuesday during the second preliminary hearing since July, which is a limited purpose proceeding held for a judge to determine whether the charges are justified.

— Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of justify

Browse Nearby Words

shrugging off

shrug off

shrugs

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“Shrug off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrug%20off. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrug off

verb

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