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Synonyms

laugh off

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to treat or dismiss lightly, esp with stoicism

    he laughed off his injuries
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
laugh off Idioms  

  1. Also, laugh away. Dismiss as ridiculous or trivial, as in He laughed off the suggestion that his career was over. [Early 1700s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The other 2% she has learned to laugh off or cope with.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

The court heard Joynes would "laugh off" inappropriate comments instead of shutting down the behaviour, and eventually arranged to meet in secret.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

He did nevertheless laugh off a question from one reporter suggesting he had been avoiding the ball during games, before showing big ambitions for the remainder of the tournament.

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

He can laugh off a few protesters, but if consumers launch a sustained boycott, both Musk and his car company could find themselves in dire straits.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2025

Toby tried to laugh off the question, the concern.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.