SHRUGS OFF Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

shrugs off

verb

present tense third-person singular of shrug off

as in ignores

to dismiss as of little importance an administration that was willing to shrug off the problem

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in removes

to rid oneself of (a garment) she shrugged off her coat and hung it up neatly

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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

Verb

Is Jan Crawford meant to adhere to standards while the editor-in-chief consistently ignores them?

— Daniel Strauss, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026
In Bethany Joy Lenz’s debut fiction novel, a painter spends her days honoring ordinary women the world overlooked — ones whose deaths were caused or enabled by a system that ignores them.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignores

Verb

Therefore, the researchers' anode not only removes a toxic contaminant but also reduces the energy needed to produce hydrogen at the cathode, increasing the system's overall hydrogen-production efficiency.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
Endurance testing Heating the material triggers a chemical reaction that removes loose chlorine ions and forms strong bonds between indium, oxygen, and phosphorus.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of removes

Verb

Take Málaga’s Monumental Cemetery of San Sebastian, in Spain, which overlooks the typical picturesque Andalusian countryside populated with olive groves.

— Mitchell Gilburne, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026
Today, it’s often read as severe—but this overlooks how much brightness and space these buildings typically hold.

— Alex Eagle, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlooks

Verb

Chenault explains how leaders can establish clear priorities when the stakes are high, encourage employees to speak up about problems, and challenge the status quo.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 27 Oct. 2026
This explains why my breakdown happened during perimenopause along with the unfortunate timing of a lactose intolerance diagnosis (bye-bye, calcium-rich dairy).

— Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of explains

Verb

Building a new jail, the suit claims, doesn’t meet the legal test that justifies extended after-hours work, which are allowed only on (among other things) projects that are in the interest of public health and safety.

— Curbed, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026
Luxury fashion — an industry that justifies its price tag through the promise of human craftsmanship — has enjoyed nodding to robots, and in particular fem-bots, for decades.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 20 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

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“Shrugs off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrugs%20off. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrugs off

verb

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