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
Supergirl may not be as kind as her cousin, youngsters will recognize her goodness and big heart, even under a rough-and-tumble exterior. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 June 2026 The child of alcoholics, Dreesen often referenced his rough-and-tumble upbringing in his comedy sets, telling tales of little Tommy shining shoes in the taverns of the South Side to feed his siblings. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 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
  • Tampa Bay capitalized on a rough outing by Jesús Sánchez, who struggled to track two fly balls against the Tropicana Field roof.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • His platform season has been so rough that a lot of his closest comps in WAR are guys coming off serious injuries.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rough
Noun
  • Apart from a drunken brawl in Ukraine a few years ago, which resulted in no charges, she was not known to the authorities.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cubs fans reserved their real animosity for Sox fans, and naturally blamed them for the huge brawl in the right-center bleachers Monday night that quickly went viral.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of brawl
Adjective
  • Vocals are surprisingly good, despite the show being a bit awkward and clumsy at times.
    — Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Sneak away into the beyond—maybe this was a clumsy translation.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Neuqua Valley offensive lineman Max Schueneman received a rude welcome to varsity football.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Miss Manners does not consider this rude so much as ill-advised.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • 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
  • Its Blue Armchair, on show at design exhibition Convey, is blocky and rigid with rough-and-ready industrial detailing.
    — Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of rough-and-ready
Adjective
  • The Düsseldorf group’s version of LUCA would have possessed many of the ingredients needed by living systems, including a primitive form of genetic encoding, as well as metabolic chemical reactions required to harness energy.
    — Philip Ball, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • If Russia behaved badly, that was the fault of its primitive and cruel Asian side, a notion that conveniently created the fiction that Western countries are not capable of similar cruelty.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of primitive

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rough-and-ready
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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 25 Aug. 2026.

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