rough in
phrasal 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
Though a bit rough in its execution, made worse by janky visual effects in the third act, the film is buoyed by the gentle comedic charms of the ensemble, sweet thematic resonance and Jackie Chan-style stuntwork.
—
Courtney Howard, Variety, 16 June 2025
In Game 4, with Leonard back in the mix, nothing improved; Eller and Leonard were particularly rough in the run-up to Carolina’s first goal.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 13 May 2025
The consequences, though, could be rough in the near term.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025
But the water was rough in Punta Cana on the night Konanki went missing, the sheriff’s office in Virginia’s Loudoun County, where Konanki’s family lives, told CNN it was advised, though whether any warnings were in place has not been confirmed.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025
The Patriots may have overpaid slightly, but not to an extreme level that would make this deal potentially rough in the near future.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Judith Kaufmann’s camera races behind and around Floria, looking intermittently rough: what doesn’t look rough in these circumstances?
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2025
At this point, there can only be very rough timelines—rough in more way than one.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Stellantis’ performance in North America has been rough in recent months, plagued by big recalls, plummeting profits, quality issues, and executive departures.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 31 Oct. 2024
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Courtney Howard, Variety, 16 June 2025
In Game 4, with Leonard back in the mix, nothing improved; Eller and Leonard were particularly rough in the run-up to Carolina’s first goal.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 13 May 2025
The consequences, though, could be rough in the near term.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025
But the water was rough in Punta Cana on the night Konanki went missing, the sheriff’s office in Virginia’s Loudoun County, where Konanki’s family lives, told CNN it was advised, though whether any warnings were in place has not been confirmed.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025
The Patriots may have overpaid slightly, but not to an extreme level that would make this deal potentially rough in the near future.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Judith Kaufmann’s camera races behind and around Floria, looking intermittently rough: what doesn’t look rough in these circumstances?
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2025
At this point, there can only be very rough timelines—rough in more way than one.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Stellantis’ performance in North America has been rough in recent months, plagued by big recalls, plummeting profits, quality issues, and executive departures.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 31 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rough in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough%20in. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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