shake off

verb

1. to remove or be removed with or as if with a quick movement

   she shook off her depression

2. tr to escape from; elude

   they shook off the police

Idioms and Phrases

Free oneself or get rid of something or someone, as in I've had a hard time shaking off this cold , or She forged ahead, shaking off all the other runners . It is also put as give someone the shake , as in We managed to give our pursuers the shake . The first term dates from the late 1300s; the slangy variant dates from the second half of the 1800s.

Example Sentences

Right now, the first order of business is to shake off the defeat and confront the challenge of Donald Trump's ghastly agenda.

From Salon

Maybe there were certain parts of it that I needed to shake off a little bit.

From Los Angeles Times

Interviewed at the time, she said: "We waited 30 years but we did it, and we did it together. Anyone who has been abused knows you cannot shake off the guilt. But the guilty one was Percy."

From BBC

“Finally, we can shake off the talk about a fake championship in 2020,” Interiano, 34, said, referring to the Dodgers COVID-19-shortened championship season.

From Los Angeles Times

While that row might pass when the Airbnb project is over, the street is less likely to shake off its Paddington link - and the selfie seekers who come with it.

From BBC