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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Mitch West, meanwhile, was licking his wounds on Monday night, when snow still hadn’t touched down in his region of South Carolina.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026 -
England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Kayode Agbolade Ogunba allegedly abused patients at a local care home.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The victim-survivor in this case was not the only child Weberman abused.—
Guila Benchimol,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As my colleague Adam Serwer has written, many Minnesotans are engaging in protests and efforts to deliver food and supplies to families in hiding.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
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Asked whether the 2-0 derby defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on January 17 might have gone a different way had Diogo Dalot been red-carded in the 11th minute for a knee-high foul on Jeremy Doku, Guardiola was insistent that his Manchester City team could not hide behind the decision.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In severe cases, the virus can attack parts of the brain that control basic life functions like eye movement, heart rate and blood pressure, causing permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ukraine's air force said that Russia attacked overnight with one ballistic missile and 146 strike drones, 103 of which were shot down or destroyed using electronic warfare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Russia has been pounding Ukraine's critical infrastructure, hoping to wear down public resistance to the war while leaving many around the country having to endure the dead of winter without heat.—
AAMER MADHANI AND SUSIE BLANN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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For now, however, the first part of the season mostly succeeds at balancing power dynamics and pulse-pounding romance, with a major assist from the warm and hot chemistry between season leads Luke Thompson and series newbie Yerin Ha.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said an ICE agent shot a Venezuelan national in the leg after agents were allegedly ambushed and attacked with a shovel.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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When their convoy is brutally ambushed, Amber is forced to put her life in Tibor’s hands.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The president has lashed out at current Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the Fed's slow-and-steady approach to interest rate cuts over the last year.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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Tony Khan’s History Of Online Controversies On New Year’s Eve in 2021, Tony Khan lashed out on Twitter at former AEW star Big Swole for her complaints about AEW’s lack of diversity.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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After his holstered gun was discovered under his coat and removed while he was being manhandled, he was executed on the spot by one of the officers despite lying unarmed and defenseless on the ground.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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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 5 Feb. 2026.
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