I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
dismissive gesture/wave/shrug etc
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Cath spread both hands in a dismissive gesture.
shrug your shoulders (= raise them to show that you do not know or care about something )
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Susan just shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
helplessly
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Rex, pardon me, but you don't seem to be shrugging helplessly or shaking your head.
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Miguel could picture him turning, shrugging helplessly .
just
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Jimmy looked enquiringly at him and Pete just shrugged his shoulders.
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I just shrugged and started the movie.
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Some just shrug at the idea, and change the subject.
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She asked Wyatt about it, but he just shrugged .
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I offered my thanks to Oliver, and even suggested some debt restructuring by way of gratitude, but he just shrugged it off.
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Shaker just shrugged and looked unhappy.
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I just shrugged , but I was impressed that she'd actually remembered Radish's name.
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We could just shrug , and say that's what you get for being poor.
off
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The royals will try to shrug off their problems and put on a good show for Margaret.
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He shrugs off his methamphetamine use during the summer.
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He shrugs off calls to slow down and won't stop working to go to the toilet.
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In this way he shrugged off all responsibility for the project.
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Internazionale shrugged off defeat by Malmo to beat the leaders, Roma, also by 3-0.
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Yet constitutional monarchists would be foolish to shrug off the event.
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I quit cold turkey some 25 years ago, but the specialists simply shrug off this kind of information.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Doug shrugged his shoulders in a familiar attitude of annoyance.
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It sort of humped up in the middle, sucking water with it, shrugging sprays of water from its wavy edges!
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Jacob shrugs off the criticism, claiming she is working for the taxpayers, not special-interest groups.
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Mr. Mendez shrugged and both of them turned to the adobe.
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She could see shrugging impatience in his shoulders.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
little
▪
At last, Auster gave a little shrug , which seemed to acknowledge that they had come to an impasse.
slight
▪
Well, she supposed, with a slight shrug , whatever turned you on - only it didn't; not really.
small
▪
Again he did not respond, except perhaps for the smallest of shrugs .
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The boy made a small shrug only having to do with getting hit from behind.
■ VERB
give
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As I thanked her, Marie looked over her shoulder at Bobbie and gave a little shrug , sharing the joke with her.
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At last, Auster gave a little shrug , which seemed to acknowledge that they had come to an impasse.
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For a moment she hesitated, then gave a mental shrug .
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She knew he'd take the credit for her ideas; then she gave a mental shrug .
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For not immediately obeying him, or for her very presence? she wondered briefly, then gave a mental shrug .
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Trent repeated his broadcast to Caspar and gave Mariana a shrug .
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Glancing sideways at her companion, she gave a resigned shrug .
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Then she gave a tiny shrug .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Henry returned to his seat with an arrogant shrug of his shoulders.
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It was a shrug the shoulders, sink the hands deep in the pockets and be fed up about the running nose cold.
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Then, with a shrug , she opened one of the cubicle doors and ushered him inside.
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With 64,000 people crammed into every square mile, the most utterly bizarre happenings raise barely a shrug of the shoulders.
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With a faint shrug , he walked out, closing the door firmly behind him.