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

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

Instead of hiding the internal mechanism, the design makes the mechanical elements part of the experience — allowing users to see, feel, and interact with the structure.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Taylor built a career out of being fully, unapologetically herself, rarely hiding behind the cloak of fame with an unrelenting focus on her pursuits.

— Kathy Lee, Footwear News, 9 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

Alpha 1, who’s most strict about the disease’s suppression, lashes out uncontrollably.

— Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
The Philippines is among the countries most exposed to powerful typhoons, some 20 of which lash the archipelago every year, causing considerable damage and casualties due to floods and landslides.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 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

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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 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rough (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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