shake off

British  

verb

1. to remove or be removed with or as if with a quick movement

   she shook off her depression

2. (tr) to escape from; elude

   they shook off the police

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shake off Idioms  

1. Free oneself or get rid of something or someone, as in I've had a hard time shaking off this cold, or She forged ahead, shaking off all the other runners. It is also put as give someone the shake, as in We managed to give our pursuers the shake. The first term dates from the late 1300s; the slangy variant dates from the second half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shake off

We just have to shake off a little rust first.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

But there remains optimism the Arsenal midfielder can shake off the effects of an illness to play on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Antonelli tried again into the first corner and had to back off, but now Russell could not shake off his team-mate.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

The BofA note came at the right time as the market begins to shake off its AI fears.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

He toured the country, mesmerizing crowds with thundering calls for black people to shake off the undermining ghetto stereotypes and claim their long-denied political power.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama