as in rough
hastily or roughly constructed
the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rough-and-tumble
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
Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
The English actor is a perfect pairing with the kinetic Evans, as he's played rough-and-tumble brawlers in several bone-crunchers, including Bronson (2008), Warrior (2011), and The Revenant (2015), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
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
Noun
In this rough-and-tumble era, trade wars were frequent and destabilizing.
—Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
The English actor is a perfect pairing with the kinetic Evans, as he's played rough-and-tumble brawlers in several bone-crunchers, including Bronson (2008), Warrior (2011), and The Revenant (2015), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-tumble
Adjective
-
Ransom Canyon star Josh Duhamel didn’t have a rough time getting to know the set of his new film Off the Grid because the actor lives off the grid in real-life.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Avoid scrubbing the microwave’s interior with rough materials like steel wool or abrasive sponges.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
If a person tears off someone’s ear or nose in a bar brawl, jail time is almost certain.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
-
There's much to consider about this hypothetical brawl.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
At times, Alcaraz was almost as clumsy as Federer in his last hurrah here against Hubert Hurkacz in 2021.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
But things get weighed down by a clumsy body-swapping plot and a pairing between Joe and 22 that never fully pays off.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
In many ways, the game might offer a blueprint for the quarterfinal clash against Paris Saint-Germain.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
The stage would seem to be set for another of the Capitol’s periodic work comp clashes.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 15 cents to $65.37 per barrel.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
-
About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nearly one in four Gen Z professionals viewed the thumbs-up as rude or hostile.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
This strikes me as rude and short-sighted (no pun intended).—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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