rough-and-tum·ble
ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl 
: rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling
also
: infighting
1
: marked by rough-and-tumble
… grew up in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere …—
E. J. Kahn, Jr.
E. J. Kahn, Jr.
also
: rough-and-ready
2
: put together haphazardly : makeshift
a rough-and-tumble fence
Examples of rough-and-tumble in a Sentence
Noun
a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands
Adjective
the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning
Recent Examples on the Web
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Over the years, the city has transformed from a rough-and-tumble logging and mining outpost into a destination for both outdoor enthusiasts and culture seekers, completing one of America’s great urban renewal stories.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025
Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
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Noun
But don’t worry about things getting repetitive, because their cheesy, wholesome (with a W) love story is markedly different from Hollander and Rozanov’s rough-and-tumble tryst.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Over the years, the city has transformed from a rough-and-tumble logging and mining outpost into a destination for both outdoor enthusiasts and culture seekers, completing one of America’s great urban renewal stories.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.
—Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
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