shake off

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.