ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

rough-and-tumble 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of rough-and-tumble

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

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

Adjective

Already postponed 24 hours, the invasion proceeded in the face of rough seas, strong winds, and low visibility in order to seize a small window in time of enormous consequence.

— Marc E. Andersen, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Japanese flight controllers want to avoid powdery soil and rough terrain when the mothership, a four-legged stationary lander, descends to the surface to gather samples in late 2028 or 2029.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rough

Noun

If Republicans lose big next month, there’ll be a brawl to assign blame — which consultants blew it, which ads wasted money, which issues didn’t work.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
There are brawls over policy that lead to lawsuits, but the main drama is the 2023 school board election, where the Democrats hoped to reverse the Republicans’ 6-3 majority.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of brawl

Adjective

Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.

— Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

While older generations may interpret limited eye contact, a flat expression or a pause before responding as rude, lazy or unprofessional, that might not be a younger person’s intent at all, Leahy said.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Bel glows with a kind of rude Californian health and goes once a week for chiropractic adjustments, including of her jaw.

— Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 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

American consumers deserved bargains on digital watches, pocket calculators, and primitive computers.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Working with the era's primitive technology, Margaret thought through the various mishaps that could occur on a spaceflight and designed the software to handle every contingency.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of primitive

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rough-and-tumble

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Style

“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rough-and-tumble

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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