rough in
verb
roughed in; roughing in; roughs in
: to make a rough or unfinished version of (something, such as a design) as the first step in creating the finished version
Rough in the lettering on your poster.
He roughed in the frame of the new door.
Examples of rough in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The pavement gets rough in spots and the landscape takes charge, showing off Joshua trees, wide-open spaces and the remnants of ancient volcanic activity.
—
Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Flagg recently returned from the foot injury, but he's been pretty rough in those four games.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The camera feed from the Olympic Broadcasting Services was rough in the moments after both golden goals.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The smooth, if slow, progression reflects a market back in gear after running rough in November, with rotation among sectors supporting the tape and suppressing volatility, the S & P 500 Volatility Index bleeding toward 15 for the first time in almost six weeks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
The whole purpose of the First Amendment is to encourage strong, robust -- perhaps rough in some situations -- discourse.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The same is true of Rafi, a 14-year-old who loves to play rough in bucolic surroundings and has a new crush, but also dreams of martyrdom.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
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Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Flagg recently returned from the foot injury, but he's been pretty rough in those four games.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The camera feed from the Olympic Broadcasting Services was rough in the moments after both golden goals.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The smooth, if slow, progression reflects a market back in gear after running rough in November, with rotation among sectors supporting the tape and suppressing volatility, the S & P 500 Volatility Index bleeding toward 15 for the first time in almost six weeks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
The whole purpose of the First Amendment is to encourage strong, robust -- perhaps rough in some situations -- discourse.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The same is true of Rafi, a 14-year-old who loves to play rough in bucolic surroundings and has a new crush, but also dreams of martyrdom.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rough in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough%20in. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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