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
Neighborhood and state leaders have been roughed up and arrested, only to be released by federal court order.
—
Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, and New England’s defense roughed up Herbert as the Patriots beat Los Angeles 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game.
—Kyle Hightower, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
There are going to be moments when the line gets roughed up against a physical team like Winnipeg, but the passing skill on display was impressive.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Twenty-four hours after they were roughed up by the Dallas Stars, 8-3, the Ducks never trailed.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough up
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Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, and New England’s defense roughed up Herbert as the Patriots beat Los Angeles 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game.
—Kyle Hightower, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
There are going to be moments when the line gets roughed up against a physical team like Winnipeg, but the passing skill on display was impressive.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Twenty-four hours after they were roughed up by the Dallas Stars, 8-3, the Ducks never trailed.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 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 8 Feb. 2026.
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