as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a rough-and-ready shack that the explorers threw together as winter approached
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Recent Examples of rough-and-ready
The brand showed off its novel approach to creating a modern version of a vintage Land Rover Defender replete with switch panels for off-road performance and accessories and a rough-and-ready chassis design.
—
Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Their rough-and-ready vérité shooting style creates an intimacy with the subject that deepens the emotional response to music that for many of us is ingrained in our DNA.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Nov. 2024
James meets rough-and-ready cowboy Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) upon arrival in Fort Worth and joins his wagon train heading West.
—Rendy Jones, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2024
That means looks or labels that are forged in the sweat and heat of the city’s legendary nightlife and its edgy, rough-and-ready street style.
—Cathrin Schaer, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
As Singer’s book documents, Siskel and Ebert’s frequent riffs about their show amount to a rough-and-ready touchstone—even a questionnaire—for critics of all stripes to ponder.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
Iteration is crucial in video-game design Typically a video-game project starts with the team throwing together a few rough-and-ready first drafts to make sure the concept works.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2023
They're all looked after by their gruff, rough-and-ready sometimes-mama, Raleigh (Laurie Metcalf).
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 2 June 2023
Prototypes from any company are often very rough-and-ready at the beginning.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Their rough-and-ready vérité shooting style creates an intimacy with the subject that deepens the emotional response to music that for many of us is ingrained in our DNA.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Nov. 2024
James meets rough-and-ready cowboy Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) upon arrival in Fort Worth and joins his wagon train heading West.
—Rendy Jones, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2024
That means looks or labels that are forged in the sweat and heat of the city’s legendary nightlife and its edgy, rough-and-ready street style.
—Cathrin Schaer, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
As Singer’s book documents, Siskel and Ebert’s frequent riffs about their show amount to a rough-and-ready touchstone—even a questionnaire—for critics of all stripes to ponder.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
Iteration is crucial in video-game design Typically a video-game project starts with the team throwing together a few rough-and-ready first drafts to make sure the concept works.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2023
They're all looked after by their gruff, rough-and-ready sometimes-mama, Raleigh (Laurie Metcalf).
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 2 June 2023
Prototypes from any company are often very rough-and-ready at the beginning.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-ready
Adjective
-
Where the real Colin and Emma have trouble getting much further than a clumsy hug after a putt-putt date, some of the acting couples have increased their intimacy levels with breathtaking speed.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
-
Word's document comparison interface is also clumsy and confusing compared with FineReader's.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Its new pricing could be an effort to attract American car buyers after rough Q1.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
However, there are some plants that are less appealing to animals, such as those with pungent scents, fuzzy leaves, prickly or rough foliage, or a bitter taste.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
In energy trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil added 64 cents to $62.59 per barrel.—
Matt Ott,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2025
-
The positive development has sent oil prices higher as well, with crude oil up over 3.5% in premarket trading.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Proctor sent a series of rude, lewd and unprofessional text messages about Read and the investigation, which led to his firing.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2025
-
There was also a three-homer game for Pablo Sandoval in the 2012 World Series, but it’s considered rude to talk about that in 2025.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.—
STEPHEN GROVES,
BostonGlobe.com,
25 Feb. 2023
-
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.—
Justine Calma,
The Verge,
24 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
Children’s Language Skills Young children whose language skills are rudimentary with tenses often confused are inexperienced reporters of what may have happened to them.—
Patricia Fersch,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
Previous rudimentary systems to communicate with these animals involved a large dolphin-nose-sized keyboard mounted to the side of the boat back in the 1990s.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This approach is flawed and increasingly dangerous for people and the economy.—
Nina Seega,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Petition gathering is flawed, to be sure, but many mistakes are out of carelessness, not fraud, and laws already exist to punish willful violators.—
Steve Bousquet,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-ready. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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