shrugging off

verb

present participle of shrug off
1
as in ignoring
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 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 The bull market keeps shrugging off every reason to stop. — Benzinga, Freep.com, 23 May 2026 Publicly, the White House is shrugging off the legal setbacks. — Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026 The Europeans are shrugging off these comments, if not ignoring them entirely. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 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 The stock market surged over the first half of 2026, shrugging off a war in the Middle East, a historic oil shortage and fear of a bubble in artificial intelligence. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 June 2026 Lionel Messi showcased his legendary resilience, powering Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Iraq with two goals, shrugging off an early penalty kick miss. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Trump has also lambasted members of the alliance for shrugging off requests to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, despite much of the oil that Europe relies on navigating through the waterway. — Haris Alic, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026 This suggests that Amodei believed Anthropic had more leverage on the Pentagon than the Pentagon had on it — the CEO of a company founded just five years ago shrugging off a threat from the world’s most powerful and best-funded entity. — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrugging off
  1. ignoring
  2. removing
  3. overlooking
  4. putting off
  5. forgiving
  6. taking off
  7. passing over
  8. explaining
Verb
  • Make Participation Effortless Reduce friction to the point where using it feels like less effort than ignoring it.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • For example, today, Americans might believe that the demands of racial equity or of evangelical Christianity are so pressing that executive power would be justified in ignoring the legislature or the judiciary to serve them.
    — Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of ignoring
Verb
  • Once in the proper gear, Adams recommends removing the top two inches of topsoil from gardens, where the highest concentration of contaminants will settle after a fire.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • At one point, he was seen removing his shirt to wipe tears from his eyes.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • Surveillance cameras captured a person dressed in dark clothing on a nearby roof overlooking the courtyard less than ten minutes before the killing, prosecutors said in charging documents.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • That’s adjacent to what is technically a closetless third bedroom, overlooking the leafy treescape, although the listing is staged with it as a separate living room.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of overlooking
Verb
  • For anyone who has been putting off a checkup, over the counter hearing aids have made treatment easier to access than ever, which turns this into one of the simplest risk factors on the list to actually address.
    — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
  • The reality is, putting off having these discussions does not do anyone any favors.
    — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 26 June 2026
Definition of putting off
Verb
  • This is why much of the safety discussion still feels too forgiving to me.
    — Tetiana Aleksandrova, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Shoppers note that the shorts are roomy and don’t bunch up, and that the elastic waistband is forgiving even while bloated.
    — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026
Definition of forgiving
Verb
  • Olympic gold medalist Arisa Trew secured her second winning result of the weekend with a switch McTwist — a 540-degree twist taking off from her opposite side while grabbing the middle of the board — during women’s vert best trick, which featured a field of athletes averaging only 16 1/2 years old.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026
  • During that time, the suspects took the woman's bracelet off her wrist without her knowing before taking off, according to police.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 20 June 2026
Definition of taking off
Verb
  • The center of Super Typhoon Bavi, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, was passing over Rota, an island of 2,000 people in the Northern Mariana Islands.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Subtle audio tracks the sound of ice on the move, views of clouds passing over glass-like ice, and there's the eventual memorial for Ok.
    — Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
Definition of passing over
Verb
  • Carpino retired in April, without ever explaining what was not right in the organization or, based on the standings, repairing it.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The traditional experience requires waiting on hold, explaining the situation and hoping an agent can help.
    — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of explaining

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shrugging
shrugging off
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Cite this Entry

“Shrugging off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrugging%20off. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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