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
But Florida’s version is getting roughed up every other game.
—
Noah White, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Bendy and flexible to gently comb through hair without tugging, pulling, or roughing up hair with tension, this unfurls any tangles and knots painlessly, thanks to the flexible bristles.
—Brianna Peters, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2025
Bills quarterback Josh Allen had to check out after being roughed up on a play.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Nov. 2025
The Senators were on the penalty kill because Kurtis MacDermid roughed up Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc while trying to fight him, as retribution for his hitting Jake Sanderson.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough up
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Noah White, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Bendy and flexible to gently comb through hair without tugging, pulling, or roughing up hair with tension, this unfurls any tangles and knots painlessly, thanks to the flexible bristles.
—Brianna Peters, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2025
Bills quarterback Josh Allen had to check out after being roughed up on a play.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Nov. 2025
The Senators were on the penalty kill because Kurtis MacDermid roughed up Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc while trying to fight him, as retribution for his hitting Jake Sanderson.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 2 Nov. 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 18 Dec. 2025.
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