1
as in licked
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
-
When a boy had licked her neck at a party during the first week of college, a stranger!—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026 -
There was one girl who licked doorknobs.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The officer interviewed the brother separately, who also said he was not abused.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Most importantly, people who are financially disadvantaged are more in danger of being abused at their jobs.—
Liza Lentini,
SPIN,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The war has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have pounded military and civilian infrastructure.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has long pounded the table for rate cuts and has wanted Fed Chair Jerome Powell out for years.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After watching his ball go into the bunker, the LIV golfer then attacked a nearby water cooler, severing the head of the club from its shaft.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Araghchi, part of Iran’s delegation in Pakistan, said Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if attacked again.—
E. Eduardo Castillo,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump had lashed out at the pontiff in a Truth Social post on Sunday night and repeated those criticisms Monday.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s post also lashed out at The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board for writing that the president had declared victory against Iran prematurely.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Boston also struggled with its perimeter shooting (eight made 3-pointers on a season-low-tying 28 attempts) but manhandled the Raptors inside, setting a new franchise record for points in the paint (76) in the play-by-play era.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Stella was torn between getting it right and being manhandled by Meredith.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Macaroons are made with shredded coconut that's added to whipped egg white and sugar.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The pop-rock hit appeared last on the set and whipped the crowd into a frenzy of propulsive jumps and the loudest cheers of the night.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then in Brookhaven, a homeless man was ambushed and shot several times while sleeping outside a shopping center on Peachtree Road.—
Landon Mion , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The Twins ambushed Crochet with four runs in the first inning, then knocked out Boston's ace lefty with a seven-run second.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Roughed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughed%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
