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

Napoli could well begin Sunday's match nine points behind Inter who will look to shake off their sobering 3-1 defeat against Premier League leaders Arsenal with the simpler task of taking on Pisa.

From Barron's

This is about shaking off the shackles of those one-size-fits-all limitations.

From Los Angeles Times

January is an odd month in the art world, as it rouses itself from its holiday slumber but struggles to shake off the sleepiness of the past month.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a moment when a traumatized U.K. is trying to shake off the shortages, uncertainties and nerves of the recent conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal

The songs on Black British Music are vivid and evocative, finding light in the darkness but never quite shaking off an undercurrent of sadness.

From BBC