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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Common symptoms include excessive scratching, licking, ear infections, and digestive issues.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025 -
The pair is seen crawling through a wildflower field, dancing, and jumping, but also hollering at each other, brandishing knives, and at some point, Lawrence licks a window with zeal.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Commission said Google’s market power has been abused since 2014.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
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Moore previously served as the defense attorney for Louise and David Turpin, the California couple who abused and imprisoned their 13 children and dependent adults in a 'house of horrors' for years.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Phillips died in a police shootout on Monday, after officers were alerted to a possible break-in at a farm goods store in Poipoi in the western Waikato district, near to where he was believed to have been hiding out with his kids, CNN, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and ABC News Australia reported.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Pep Guardiola is a tactile man who does not hide his expressive nature when speaking to his players.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mastantuono, 18, has the characteristics to contribute from a deeper position, but his signing was intended for more attacking areas, as is being seen.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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An elderly Arkansas man is in the hospital after a black bear attacked him in Franklin County on Wednesday.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The rain pounded so hard Friday afternoon that Aventura police closed a portion of Biscayne Boulevard from 191st Street to 29th Avenue, near Aventura Mall, due to road flooding.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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TikTok videos often feature variations where pranksters pound on or kick people’s front doors.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For nearly six decades, the public believed Buford and his wife were ambushed while responding to a disturbance.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The president has constantly mocked Powell on social media, and accused him of mismanaging renovations of the Fed’s headquarters, even ambushing the Fed chief with a new cost estimate for a facility renovation in front of rolling television cameras.—
Tobias Burns,
The Hill,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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These two hurricanes come after Hurricane Erin lashed North Carolina's Outer Banks with rough waves and coastal flooding last month.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
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Some liberal commentators, however, have lashed out in response to the shooting, saying calls for prayer are tone deaf responses given the victims were inside a church.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As lead character Lee Raybon, Ethan Hawke gets beaten up (and manhandled, and shoved in the trunk of a car) a good amount in the trailer.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Aug. 2025
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Early indications suggest they are still getting manhandled up front.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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