rough up
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
Did not hear a peep from Minnesota sports fans when the Timberwolves were roughing up the Nuggets.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
While he got roughed up in his fourth rehab start on Tuesday, the Yankees are eagerly awaiting the return of the 2023 Cy Young winner and hope to have him back by early June, if not a little sooner.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Boston starter Brayan Bello (1-2) was roughed up for four runs in four innings.
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Victor Caratini had a sacrifice fly and Brooks Lee added a two-run double as the Twins roughed up three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.
—Ian Harrison, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rough up
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Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
While he got roughed up in his fourth rehab start on Tuesday, the Yankees are eagerly awaiting the return of the 2023 Cy Young winner and hope to have him back by early June, if not a little sooner.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Boston starter Brayan Bello (1-2) was roughed up for four runs in four innings.
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Victor Caratini had a sacrifice fly and Brooks Lee added a two-run double as the Twins roughed up three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.
—Ian Harrison, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
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 11 May. 2026.
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