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
  • Court records show that Jang reported McKinsey to police in 2023, accusing him of shoving one of their children and using rough physical discipline with them generally.
    — TERRY CHEA, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Tori famously dated Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s main character, Zack Morris, despite the two having gotten off to a rough start.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of rough
Noun
  • Verbal fights between the two women devolved into a physical brawl.
    — Eamon Javers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The video shows one of the men holding a gun during the brawl.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of brawl
Adjective
  • One of the clumsiest parts of Klosterman’s book is his attempts at political punditry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Painfully aware of this, Shawn waited for one of the drunk old men to comment, heckle, make one of those incomprehensible jokes that drew rude laughter from adults.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • By the same token, French-style discretion can be interpreted by American visitors as inattentive and rude.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 4 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
  • Prince figured out how to make primitive-sounding electronics feel human.
    — Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • They’re rooted in a time and place that feels all too real, and this allows the monsters to parade their primitive might in a way that means something.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of primitive

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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 6 Oct. 2026.

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