rough (up)

verb

Definition of rough (up)next
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)
  1. lick
  2. abuse
  3. hide
  4. attack
  5. pound
  6. ambush
  7. lash
  8. manhandle
Verb
  • There was the physician who analyzed the growth rate of his fingernails for 35 years and the geologist who looked into why his colleagues lick rocks.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The scandal led to Paterno’s firing, and the university paid more than $100 million to people who said they were abused by Sandusky.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some critics report being verbally abused, doxxed, and even threatened with rape and death by BJP supporters.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Yes, that’s right, the world’s most famous nude sculpture was once outfitted with a belt of 28 copper leaves to hide its genitalia.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Avoid walking through tall grass, rocky areas or other places where snakes might hide, such as wildflower or bluebonnet patches.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • Tzolis plays the pass and, because the Arsenal players are attacking the diagonal, there are a number of receivers available.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In perhaps the coolest reversal in the show thus far, the Lanterns are attacked with guns that produce darkness, which manifests here as smoke but prevents them from seeing or creating light constructs.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • On offense, that means pounding the rock with a stout run game and letting that set up the passing attack.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Russia pounded Kyiv for more than 12 hours in a sixth straight night of attacks, killing at least 12 people including six railway workers and an Indian citizen, and devastating civilian districts.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • However, officials have yet to determine exactly what type of animal is ambushing the unsuspecting humans.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Lakanwal ambushed the Guard members outside a subway station three blocks from the White House, according to prosecutors.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambush
Verb
  • Voters may not buy it, and politicians may find themselves on the bad side of a president who’s been known to lash out against those who oppose him.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This week’s meeting of G20 finance ministers underscored rising global trade tensions, with several countries, including the US, lashing out at China.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of lash
Verb
  • After getting physically manhandled far too often last year, Colorado was the more physical team against a Yellow Jackets program that prides itself on toughness.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Los Angeles Police Department released a video that shows officers at the Valley jail manhandle an uncooperative inmate who died after he was left handcuffed with a bag over his head while laying prone on the bunk in his cell.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of manhandle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

roughs (up)
rough (up)
rouging
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rough (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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