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rough-and-tumble 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of rough-and-tumblenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rough-and-tumble

2 of 2

noun

ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl How to pronounce rough-and-tumble (audio)
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rough-and-tumble
Adjective
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Noun
In an email to fellow members of Levine Cava’s senior staff on June 2, Morales seemed to be rallying the administration for a rough-and-tumble push to win County Commission approval of the deal. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026 Comfortable dude ranch Lone Mountain Ranch marries the region's rough-and-tumble spirit with modern hospitality. — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-tumble
  1. rough
  2. brawl
  3. clumsy
  4. rude
  5. rough-and-ready
  6. primitive
Adjective
  • Kristi Noem bags a massive elk It's been a rough year for ol' Kristi Noem.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Just in case that gets rough, there’s an EMT in every ceremony, along with two security people, as well as three nurses and one doctor on site at all times.
    — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of rough
Noun
  • The video shows one of the men holding a gun during the brawl.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The Costa Cruises vessel was reportedly sailing from Naples to Sicily when the brawl erupted at sea.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of brawl
Adjective
  • Feed your head Neagley gets off to a sluggish start, with a workmanlike, rather clumsy first episode largely spent establishing the main characters and central plot—and the writers lean a bit too hard on constant Chicago callbacks.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The residents of Mossy Bottom Farm are looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Other teachers would also forward Phillips copies of rude emails sent by Moore.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Loud phone use, rude behavior toward airport staff, and careless suitcase handling can make stressful terminals even more frustrating.
    — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • There was a physical, rough-and-ready rhythm to men of that era.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Some showstopping pieces were sold at Vivienne Westwood’s London shop Seditionaries, which revolutionized a rough-and-ready pop-culture style that still resonates to this day.
    — Siran Babayan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Definition of rough-and-ready
Adjective
  • Yet, the oxygen isotopes in these primitive samples remained virtually untouched by parent-body alteration.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This confident hybrid of live action and animation is unapologetically primitive and loose.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of primitive

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rough-and-ready
rough-and-tumble
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Cite this Entry

“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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