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 Vargo, 71, shrugged off criticism in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 Some are condemned swiftly and harshly, others are shrugged off almost entirely. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Pelvic floor training, long shrugged off as a women’s thing, has become one of the more interesting frontiers in men’s health, with real data behind it for erectile function, ejaculation control, bladder issues and post-prostate-surgery recovery. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026 But on Tuesday, senators failed to advance the firms’ top legislative priority, shrugging off the threat of tens of millions of dollars that still could hit them this fall. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrug off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrug off

Verb

Corbett said such arguments ignore Illinois’ long history of underfunding public schools, with the state providing only about a quarter of school districts’ revenue, according to the State Board of Education’s most recent Illinois Report Card.

— Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
The shame lies with the governments who ignored the AIDS crisis and the stigma that was around people and the innate prejudice that was in society.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignore

Verb

Other organizations abandoned associations with Hastert, and his portrait was removed from a hallway outside the House chamber.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Community organizations spent decades cultivating wealthy baby boomer donors, and so that connection fades with each generation removed from the original donors.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

Telluride’s ski area stretches across more than 2,000 acres, from wide, forgiving groomers to steep chutes and bowls, with the terrain climbing to 12,570 feet.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
SpaceX’s reported $40 billion debt raise to buy Nvidia chips shows it is stuck between mature tech giants like Google and Meta and startups like OpenAI and Anthropic, whose private status tends to forgive their inability to pay their own bills.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of forgive

Verb

Some of them were put off by élite football’s deliberate lack of culture—staunch apoliticism is easy to sell to Sky Sports—and others had been priced out.

— Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
But don’t be put off by produce that doesn’t look picture-perfect.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of put off

Verb

Kelly said that too often medical records note only a concussion, which is in fact a mild traumatic brain injury, but can be overlooked.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
There’s an excellent Anantara Spa and a state-of-the-art fitness center onsite, but the highlight of the property is its 60-foot-long oceanfront infinity pool, which overlooks the entire expanse of Stone Town beach.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlook

Verb

Diesel fuel that is intended for off-road uses such as agriculture is exempt from federal and state excise taxes, and it is dyed for law enforcement purposes, the White House explained in a fact sheet.

— NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Imagination and influence are tied together, Sherald explained.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul described Niembro as the most culpable of the four defendants and Ramirez as second, while acknowledging that Ramirez’s cooperation justified a significantly shorter sentence.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Rising prices could also lead shoppers to reconsider which rewards still feel small enough to justify.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrug off

verb

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