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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In it, the dog licked its butt, then licked Paul’s lips.—
Simon Bland,
IndieWire,
6 Aug. 2025 -
If pets or livestock have contact with the water, clean the animal with clean water right away and keep them from licking their body, the department advises.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His father, a livery man, didn’t understand him, and apparently abused him.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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Published in April, the Change Associates review found that a small number of employees continue to abuse their power at the corporation.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Extraterrestrial Easter Eggs and Fun Facts – Uncover the references and characters from some of your favorite Pixar films hidden throughout Elio, along with other fun facts.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The garden is located in a large area in the middle of the hotel's main gardens, but still hidden.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The green and whites play excellent attacking soccer and with Isco pulling the strings there is always a chance Betis could upset a big club.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The Vera Institute's advocacy arm Vera Action, for example, assessed that the the GOP spent more than $1 billion attacking Democrats on crime and immigration in 2024, while Democrats spent roughly $319 million on advertisements that played up their public safety records.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Get aligned and intentional before pounding the keyboard.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not said when troops would enter Gaza City, his country’s forces have continued to pound the area, killing dozens in recent days.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Clinton Brink was first ambushed by McGann, police said, and after witnessing the attack, Cristen Brink ran away with her daughters, ages 7 and 9.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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After his team, The Opps, successfully defended their Trios Titles, they were ambushed by the Death Riders faction.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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President Trump on Friday lashed out at the official who oversees government employment reports after its regular monthly report showed the job market softening significantly this summer in a possible warning sign of an impending recession.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
1 Aug. 2025
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The president also lashed out on social media against Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, urging the Senate Judiciary Committee chair to ditch a longstanding confirmation practice to expedite the process.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He can be physically manhandled when attempting to seal powerful defensive ends and needs to be more assertive with his hands to keep his target engaged as a run blocker.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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So maybe the real culprit is the attempt to manhandle her sensibility into a studio-horror sequel.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 July 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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