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
After arriving at the ninth hole, Spiranac appeared to push down high grass in the rough.
—
Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
In search of a better life The Rev. Walter M. Potter, a Baptist missionary, arrived in Denver in 1863 to start a church in the rough and tumble gold mining town.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Sereno was hunting for the spot where the famed collector Charles Sternberg discovered a dinosaur mummy in the rough terrain of eastern Wyoming.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 1 Nov. 2025
But their boats are often met with tragedy, as many become stranded or capsize in the rough seas, prompting rescue from the Italian Coast Guard.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the rough
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Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
In search of a better life The Rev. Walter M. Potter, a Baptist missionary, arrived in Denver in 1863 to start a church in the rough and tumble gold mining town.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Sereno was hunting for the spot where the famed collector Charles Sternberg discovered a dinosaur mummy in the rough terrain of eastern Wyoming.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 1 Nov. 2025
But their boats are often met with tragedy, as many become stranded or capsize in the rough seas, prompting rescue from the Italian Coast Guard.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 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 17 Dec. 2025.
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