rough-and-tum·ble
ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl 
: rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling
also
: infighting
1
: marked by rough-and-tumble
… grew up in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere …—
E. J. Kahn, Jr.
E. J. Kahn, Jr.
also
: rough-and-ready
2
: put together haphazardly : makeshift
a rough-and-tumble fence
Examples of rough-and-tumble in a Sentence
Noun
a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands
Adjective
the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
If the surprisingly rough-and-tumble world of 16th-century playwrights doesn’t immediately compel you, know that this is the kind of book in which every page is filled with an unexpected twist or insight (however speculative or hard to prove these conclusions may turn out to be).
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
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Noun
The authors, sports journalists Frankie de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo, set out to give generations of rough-and-tumble women athletes their due.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
If the surprisingly rough-and-tumble world of 16th-century playwrights doesn’t immediately compel you, know that this is the kind of book in which every page is filled with an unexpected twist or insight (however speculative or hard to prove these conclusions may turn out to be).
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.
—Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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