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
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
In this rough-and-tumble era, trade wars were frequent and destabilizing.
—Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 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
Where Mraz and his brassy Super Band were polished, note-perfect and exuded an infectiously upbeat vibe, 4 Non Blondes’ uneven 13-song set was alternately rousing and rough-and-tumble.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
In this rough-and-tumble era, trade wars were frequent and destabilizing.
—Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-tumble
Adjective
-
The Jayhawks’ offense should play a pivotal role in ensuring KU comes out on top. Prediction: Kansas (3-1) Game 5: KU vs. Cincinnati Cincinnati looks to get back on track after a rough first two seasons in the Big 12.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
14 Aug. 2025
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Stepping into the role played by Damon in the film, British actor Milo Callaghan is Rudy Baylor, who has overcome a rough childhood and family tragedy to graduate at the top of his law school class.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The votes follow a recent street brawl that sparked concerns about crime in the city.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
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One of the victims of a viral brawl that happened in Cincinnati July 26 says she's been forced into hiding after the incident that left her severely injured.—
Adam Sabes , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Any move to unify systems and say goodbye to clumsy data management couldn't be more crucial—or opportune.—
Charles Crouchman,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Every summer a disposable camera was tucked into my camp bag, where clumsy photos, often with a thumb peeking in, were snapped with reckless abandon.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Nobody’s life but Galileo’s was at stake in his historic clash between religious dogma and scientific fact.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
-
The moon’s clash with Mars threatens to sidetrack you.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The crude oil leak from a train that derailed in Dodge County on Aug. 15 has been contained, officials said.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The other measures the company is proposing include improvements to its fluidized catalytic-cracking units, which help turn crude oil into gasoline, and installing carbon monoxide analyzers to ensure equipment is running efficiently.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Think scarf head coverings for women in Catholic churches, shoe removal for all to enter a mosque, yarmulkes required for men in synagogues, but also pay attention to the cultural norms away from houses of worship and behave accordingly to avoid being considered a rude American.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
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The Reddit community nearly unanimously branded the boyfriend as rude and tone-deaf.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Five seasons of Premier League football have seen Watkins progress from a rough-and-ready channel runner into a striker of prowess.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
-
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
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 20 Aug. 2025.
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