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
Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2025
One night later, Boston players all but shrugged their shoulders after falling to the Lakers 117-96 on the second leg of a back-to-back.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Kevin Roose, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Martinez's wife's garment was a variation called a shrug vest, a sleeveless item that drapes around the neck instead of having a hole for the head.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shrug 
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.
Verb
But Jar genuinely seems to be unbothered, laughing it off and shrugging her shoulders.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2025
One night later, Boston players all but shrugged their shoulders after falling to the Lakers 117-96 on the second leg of a back-to-back.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
Why is its potential disappearance being met with a shrug?
Credit...
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Martinez's wife's garment was a variation called a shrug vest, a sleeveless item that drapes around the neck instead of having a hole for the head.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shrug
Dictionary Entries Near shrug
Cite this Entry
“Shrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrug. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share