shrug off

British  

verb

1. to minimize the importance of; dismiss

2. to get rid of

3. to wriggle out of or push off (clothing)

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shrug off Idioms  

1. Minimize the importance of, as in That nasty review didn't bother him at all; he just shrugged it off . [Early 1900s]

2. Get rid of, as in She managed to shrug off her drowsiness and keep driving . [Mid-1900s]

3. Wriggle out of a garment, as in He shrugged off his coat . [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

The stock market has tended to shrug off other military eruptions over the following years, even when share prices fell sharply upon the outbreak of hostilities.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

French industry was mostly able to shrug off the impact of U.S. tariffs in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

It’s warm and hearty and immediately satisfying, the thing you want the moment you shrug off your coat and kick your boots into a corner.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

But though that captured headlines, stocks seemed to shrug off the news.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

I tried to shrug off a dark feeling I was getting and recapture the warm sense of justice: Sarah and Daniel, earless too.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen