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
The sometimes rough-and-tumble process of transplanting from one pot and growing location to another can cause some plants to wilt. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026 There’s no guarantee that talking with Bondi about Epstein in a closed-door setting, even a deposition, will be more productive than the normally rough-and-tumble public hearings held by the panel. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 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
  • Bannister Road has been rough to drive on for seemingly years.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • The relationship between the two had been rough for a while, and Traci was excited to build a new life for herself independent of her husband.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of rough
Noun
  • My first match with Taylor was as his assistant on a tempestuous game between Leicester City and Watford in 2007 that produced 11 yellow cards and a mass brawl.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Instead, some of its players turned the postgame handshakes into a brawl, with Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes drawing a red card for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and shoving him to the turf.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of brawl
Adjective
  • The other, in quite clumsy English, requested a very careful renovation of Ingmar Bergman’s house on the island of Fårö, in Sweden.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
  • He was saved by the presence nearby of Lisandro Martinez, but the challenge was so unorthodox, clumsy and deliberate that many referees would have cautioned the defender.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • In the nearly 90-second recording, Varela calls the customer service representative lazy, rude and racist and asks her for her name tag.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Posey can deliver an absurd line with such conviction that arguing with her would seem rude.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 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
  • But the football was largely primitive and uncompetitive, as only 13 countries competed.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 23 July 2026
  • But the Deadheads also evince an honest yearning for something that’s tribal, primitive, sacred, ancient, shamanic, ecstatic.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of primitive

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rough-and-ready
rough-and-tumble
rough-and-tumbles
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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 28 Jul. 2026.

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