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

But stocks look set to shake off the macroeconomic concerns that pinched them on Tuesday with a flattish open.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Of all the places for England to begin a new era, Headingley is the most difficult to shake off the memory of Ben Stokes.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The Vances, however, can’t seem to shake off suspicions that they loathe each other, no matter how many smiles they flash at the camera.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

We just have to shake off a little rust first.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

“You don’t know the pressures I’m under. The federal police are on my back. They're not as simple to shake off as the ones here. Although they’ve gotten worse here, too.”

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed