in the rough
idiom
chiefly US
: in an unfinished or rough state
He admired the beauty of nature in the rough.
Some of the turquoise is polished and some is in the rough.
Examples of in the rough in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The momentum swung again on the next hole when Griffin saved par from behind a tree in the fairway and Schmid curiously aimed away from the hole with his ball plugged in a bunker, ended up in the rough and made bogey.
—
CBS News, 25 May 2025
The smartest play for South Africa now is containment and damage limitation, while relations remain in the rough.
—Sizwe Mpofu Walsh, Time, 23 May 2025
The ball struck a tree branch and landed back into play in the rough with a decent lie.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
On the par four tenth, Hadwin had his third shot from 44 yards out in the rough.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the rough
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.
CBS News, 25 May 2025
The smartest play for South Africa now is containment and damage limitation, while relations remain in the rough.
—Sizwe Mpofu Walsh, Time, 23 May 2025
The ball struck a tree branch and landed back into play in the rough with a decent lie.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
On the par four tenth, Hadwin had his third shot from 44 yards out in the rough.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the rough
Cite this Entry
“In the rough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20rough. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share