rough up
phrasal verb
roughed up; roughing up; roughs up
informal
: to hit and hurt (someone)
The prisoner claimed that he was roughed up by the guards.
Examples of rough up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Be careful when using anything abrasive, which can strip paint or rough up high-gloss surfaces.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
News that a conservative speaker has been roughed up by a college crowd is barely news anymore.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Bradley was also roughed up in his first start as a Twin, giving up seven runs in five innings pitched against the Chicago White Sox.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
Small groups blocked roads while one contingent of vandals roughed up the lobby of traditionally anti-Kirchner TV station TN (owned by Grupo Clarín, one of Cristina’s historical antagonists).
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough up
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
News that a conservative speaker has been roughed up by a college crowd is barely news anymore.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Bradley was also roughed up in his first start as a Twin, giving up seven runs in five innings pitched against the Chicago White Sox.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
Small groups blocked roads while one contingent of vandals roughed up the lobby of traditionally anti-Kirchner TV station TN (owned by Grupo Clarín, one of Cristina’s historical antagonists).
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough up
Cite this Entry
“Rough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough%20up. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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