ROUGH (UP) Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

rough (up)

verb

Definition of rough (up)

as in to lick

to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Owners should also watch for licking that is sudden, persistent or severe enough to cause hair loss or skin damage.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Photos like the one below show children licking massive ice blocks for a slight reprieve from the summer heat.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of lick

Verb

Jarrett, the elder brother, was eventually taken in by a man who later abused him, a victimizer who then set his sights on Baylon.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026
Market power can be abused, and a transaction involving companies this significant deserves careful regulatory scrutiny.

— Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

The expansion will take players to the brand new realm of Letten — an idyllic land of rural tradition that hides a dark secret just below the surface.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to hide his own extremism and Texans will see right through it.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hide

Verb

Communities still recovering from last weekend’s hurricane in Hawaii could get pounded again in coming days from another tropical system gaining strength over warm Pacific waters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Jay Lucarelli, 31, sat with his MacBook at the kitchen table in his mother’s home in Jackson Township, Ohio, pounding fastballs and energy drinks.

— Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of pound

Verb

Workers lashed the broad branches together with steel cables and chains.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
The fight intensified Sunday when Mark Goldfeder, head of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, lashed out at Bonta and suggested California’s top law enforcement official was doing Ruffalo’s bidding by filing the antitrust lawsuit.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of lash

Verb

New England lost in demoralizing fashion to the Seahawks last February, 29-13, as the Seattle defense manhandled the Patriots’ offense.

— Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
His hands and ability to manhandle blockers made him among the best defensive players in the West Valley League.

— Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 31 July 2026

Definition of manhandle

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Browse Nearby Words

roughs (up)

rough (up)

rouging

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Style

“Rough (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rough (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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