laughing off

verb

present participle of laugh off
as in shrugging off

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughing off
  1. shrugging off
  2. playing down
  3. minimizing
  4. belittling
  5. undervaluing
Verb
  • 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
Definition of shrugging off
Verb
  • The host nation won comfortably despite playing down a man from the 64th minute on.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • Senegal has pressured Iraq, which is again playing down a man, but hasn't had many quality chances on net.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 27 June 2026
Definition of playing down
Verb
  • Compared to many major technology platforms, Apple has positioned itself around collecting less personal data, minimizing cross-platform tracking, and giving users more visible control over how their information is shared.
    — Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • In addition to a high concentration of hydrating glycerin and soothing, redness-minimizing allantoin, Dobos calls out niacinamide as a star ingredient.
    — Sarah Han, Allure, 6 July 2026
Definition of minimizing
Verb
  • The remark was meant to be an insult, belittling a company that seemed to care more about hardware profit margins than design and innovation.
    — Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 28 May 2026
  • Meeting a partner’s family can be challenging in any circumstance; anxieties about a family member saying something rude or belittling can only compound that.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Definition of belittling
Verb
  • Stop undervaluing yourself, period.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
  • For most of their history, the Panthers have gotten by with mediocre safeties, undervaluing a position that can be manned by a real game-changer.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of undervaluing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

laughingly
laughing off
laughingstock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Laughing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughing%20off. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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