laugh off

verb

laughed off; laughing off; laughs off

transitive verb

: to minimize by treating as amusingly or absurdly trivial

Examples of laugh off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Friday, Ken Rosenthal — a top MLB insider for both Fox Sports and The Athletic — also laughed off the idea that the Red Sox would seek to deal Bregman. Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 Boakai, who speaks English with a West African accent, laughed off Trump’s remark during the discussion and didn’t raise offense to Trump’s compliment. Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 10 July 2025 The star smiles and laughs off the slobbery moment, before continuing to pet the small animal, as another canine looks on nearby. Nicholas Rice, People.com, 7 July 2025 Transgender track and field athlete AB Hernandez won two first-place medals at the California state championships earlier this month and, on Saturday, laughed off the backlash. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for laugh off

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of laugh off was in 1676

Cite this Entry

“Laugh off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laugh%20off. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on laugh off

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