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
-
Ghadimi licked her lips over and over.—
Babak Dehghanpisheh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026 -
When asked by director Marina Zenovich if there was a time when Chase walked away from his mother and stepfather and never saw them again, Chase pretended to swat a fly on his forehead, then licked his fingers as if eating the imaginary bug.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her relationship with her daughter, Caroline Darian, has been especially tense, as Darian felt her mother wasn’t supportive enough of her concerns that she might have been abused by her father.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Dacoda Jones filed the lawsuit on Monday in Dallas County District Court, which alleges that Rice abused her numerous times from December of 2023 through July of 2025.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Like a medieval castle, where lords slept, blacksmiths pounded, soldiers trained, mummers mummed, and farmers sold their produce, the 21st century armory will be a mixed-use project in the truest sense.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Court documents say when the officers tried to leave, Catlett pounded on the hood and kicked the side door of their car.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Until Friday, the only television advertising on Paxton’s behalf in Texas, according to the ad-tracking service AdImpact, was a spot that attacked Hunt, a two-term House member from the Houston area.—
Thomas Beaumont,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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In that non-fatal case, Homeland Security claims three undocumented men attacked a federal agent with a snow shovel and a broom, and that fearing for his life, the agent shot one of the men in the leg.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Clinton, instead of delivering the usual liberal-candidate-seeks-Black-votes hominy, lashed out at her words.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Trump later lashed out in response to Carney’s speech.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
After his holstered gun was discovered under his coat and removed while he was being manhandled, he was executed on the spot by one of the officers despite lying unarmed and defenseless on the ground.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pierce died after being whipped with a belt and being forced to stand in a cold shower, authorities said.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Winds whipped and livestock fled as first responders tried to quell the intense flames, another video showed.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In August, the Kansas City Royals ambushed him for eight runs.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Authorities said surveillance video in the area shows Dickinson and Thompson walking together just moments before Thompson was ambushed in the middle of the street.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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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 19 Feb. 2026.
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