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
The Wolverines moving in and USC dropping out just a week after the Trojans roughed up Michigan in Los Angeles was a curious choice by voters.
—
Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
The American weather model projects the nor’easter will stay slightly farther offshore and run a bit farther north, limiting the number of days the storm roughs up the Southeast coast, but bringing more rain, wind and choppy seas to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers came out victorious in Ireland, but quarterback Skylar Thompson was reportedly roughed up and robbed two days before their game against the Minnesota Vikings kicked off.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Be careful when using anything abrasive, which can strip paint or rough up high-gloss surfaces.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
The American weather model projects the nor’easter will stay slightly farther offshore and run a bit farther north, limiting the number of days the storm roughs up the Southeast coast, but bringing more rain, wind and choppy seas to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers came out victorious in Ireland, but quarterback Skylar Thompson was reportedly roughed up and robbed two days before their game against the Minnesota Vikings kicked off.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Be careful when using anything abrasive, which can strip paint or rough up high-gloss surfaces.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 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 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share