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 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
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
See All Example Sentences for rough up
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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
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
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 30 Sep. 2025.
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