1
as in licked
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in abused
to abuse physically
the photographer claimed that he had been roughed up by the actor's bodyguards outside the club
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughed (up)
Verb
-
The afternoon sun licked the windscreen of the car, and the heat boiled my skin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025 -
Paul Volcker, the chair of the Federal Reserve at the time, had licked inflation, and the stock market was rising after seventeen years of going sideways.—
L. David Marquet,
Big Think,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump contends blue slips are being abused as a tool of partisan obstruction.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
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To an aspiring autocrat, power exists so that it can be abused.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Predictably, there’s lots of fighting in The Smashing Machine, including plenty of that knee-to-the-face business, though the sound design is often more disturbing than the visuals; the sound of flesh giving way as it’s being pounded like a piece of meat just feels inhumane.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
-
In recent days, Israel pounded Gaza City, while strikes killed Hamas’ military spokesperson and the Houthis’ prime minister in Yemen.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tonges, who before Sunday’s game had never caught a regular-season pass, attacked the ball and gave San Francisco the lead.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The occurrences grew more aggressive over time, with the Smurls' 75-pound German shepherd getting slammed into a wall and Jack getting attacked while praying.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These two hurricanes come after Hurricane Erin lashed North Carolina's Outer Banks with rough waves and coastal flooding last month.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
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Some liberal commentators, however, have lashed out in response to the shooting, saying calls for prayer are tone deaf responses given the victims were inside a church.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Early indications suggest they are still getting manhandled up front.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The Vikings manhandled the Patriots’ defensive front, yielding just two sacks after allowing close to 10 the day before.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The actress whipped out some ballerina dance moves to ensure each pair was still comfortable enough for any and all activities.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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This mordant delight — about two young men who befriend one another in a support group for people who’ve lost a twin — whipped the Eccles theater into a frenzy with its cuttingly dark laughs and unexpected plot twists.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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De’Andre Johnson ambushed and choked the agent in a DCS office, livestreaming the attack on Facebook.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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The season will detail 10 different cases, including a Las Vegas journalist ambushed outside his residence, a body dumped in a NYC tunnel, and a mission to discover the identity of a victim found in the East River.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Roughed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughed%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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