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
-
In Huntington Beach and San Clemente, the messy, wild waves licked the bottom of the pier structures.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026 -
When the tiffin is returned licked clean, Ila sends another meal but with a note, leading to a rich correspondence between the two.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Moreover, the states often abused their authority, both over their own citizens and with regard to each other.—
Jordan Cash,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
One victim said he was abused by Pinkerton between July 2007 and July 2009.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The Pittsburgh area was hit hard by severe weather on Sunday evening, with the National Weather Service issuing multiple tornado warnings as heavy wind and rain pounded the region.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Waves are not expected to be as big as those that pounded the shore last week and led to the deaths of two people.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Three people were killed and 20 more people were attacked by bears across at least nine prefectures between April and June 2, according to public broadcaster NHK.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
During the Gaza war, the Houthis attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea — including ships with no link to Israel — to pressure Israel into lifting its blockade on the enclave.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The combination of sugar snap peas and whipped tofu with a sizzling oil drizzle is a meatless stunner.—
Ellie Krieger,
Washington Post,
10 June 2026
-
Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
He feels emotionally ambushed, and what plays out is as if Marriage Story were an absolute chucklefest, as Lestat gets increasingly worked up and jealous over Louis’s relationships with other men.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
On June 27, 2016, a man was ambushed when his vehicle came to a stop in a residential neighborhood in San Jose.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
12 June 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 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
