1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to abuse
to abuse physically
the photographer claimed that he had been roughed up by the actor's bodyguards outside the club
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough (up)
Verb
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Two new friends spent the afternoon chatting, licking our deliciously unexpected delights and beginning a life-long bond.—
Susan Cunningham Euker,
Baltimore Sun,
14 June 2025 -
The viral post opens with a quiet, intimate moment: the Labrador sits beside her puppy, gently licking her head.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Verb
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In the procedural drama, Rodríguez brings to life a multi-layered and solemn character shaped by a traumatic childhood — abused within the foster care system, with no knowledge of his origins, and struggling with severe dyslexia.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Federal employees widely abused the Biden administration‘s telework policies, according to an inspector general report released by the Office of Personnel Management on Friday.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Transparency is another issue: Pricing for procedures varies wildly and is often hidden until the bill arrives.—
Paulina Wierzbicka,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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The first iteration of Somni opened in 2018 inside the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, a restaurant hidden inside of José Andrés’s Bazaar, but closed in 2020 as a pandemic casualty.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
26 June 2025
Verb
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This infection attacks your stomach lining and causes inflammation.—
Sayaka Blickenderfer,
Health,
28 June 2025
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The wild and ugly scenes saw rioters attack law enforcement with rocks and Molotov cocktails while others burned vehicles and other property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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The left-hander got pounded a year ago and thumped again in his first taste of big-league action for eight runs in five innings against the Washington Nationals.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
26 June 2025
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Kamala Harris pounded Joe Biden over his stances on busing from the 1970s—a long-ago dispute that even became fodder for J.D. Vance in 2024.—
Andrew Yang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Verb
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After ambushing a group of pink guards in the quarters, the rebels, armed with guns, made their way to the colorful stairwells.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poachers.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Forecasters said Erick was expected over the coming hours to lash Mexico’s Pacific coast with heavy rain, strong winds and a fierce storm surge.—
Luis Alberto Cruz,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
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That’s something that our character was going through a really tough moment and feeling really bad and wanting to be angry and lash out., Travis Scott’s music really carries that emotion for a lot of young kids.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Federal agents manhandled California Sen. Alex Padilla out of the room, shoved him down onto his knees and handcuffed him.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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Brooks died at a hospital in Utica on Dec. 9, a day after he was punched, kicked, choked and manhandled by multiple officers at Marcy Correctional Facility — while handcuffed to a medical examination table.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rough (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough%20%28up%29. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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