shrugged; shrugging
: to raise or draw in the shoulders especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty
: to lift or contract (the shoulders) especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty
Examples of shrug in a Sentence
Verb
I asked if he wanted to go out to dinner, and he just shrugged.
He just shrugged his shoulders.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Roark’s mostly shrugged this all off, a couple of weeks later.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
And Bo Nix will get shrugs as nothing more than a valet for a legendary coach and fangs-bearing defense.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 20 Dec. 2025
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Verb
For one stretch of the fashion show, Hadid donned a matching bright-red bra and lacy underwear set, plus a long, billowing satin robe, shrugged to her elbows and sheer red tights.
—Noun
His killing, and the collective shrug with which it was greeted by the rest of the world, helped pave the way for the even more flagrant breach of international law that Trump has now carried out with his kidnapping of Maduro.
—Cite this Entry
“Shrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrug. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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