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
-
Gilgeous-Alexander licked his chops at what Game 1 presented.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026 -
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
Verb
-
While the increasing numbers have been welcomed, authorities have expressed concern that the 60-day visa-free policy was being abused by foreign nationals seeking to work illegally or engage in crime.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
-
The accusations against Freddy Zelaya, 46, began after a man came forward to report he had been abused by Zelaya as a child, according to a series of arrest affidavits by the Miami Beach Police Department.—
Sofia Saric
May 20,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The Rockies pounded Keller for six runs on six hits in the fifth to blow open the game.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
-
The United States and Israel pounded Iran with devastating effectiveness for 37 days, killing much of the country’s leadership and destroying the bulk of its military, yet couldn’t collapse the regime or exact even the smallest concession from it.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Moments after the landscaper was attacked, officers got a call about a car in the middle of the street nearby.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
-
Denise attacked Djena again, beating her until Mohamed and their eldest son, Ahmed, pulled her off.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
When the war began, a cornered Iran lashed out by attacking its neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a 45-year-old coalition of energy-rich Arab monarchies including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
That set the stage for Varsho, who lashed at a two-strike fastball and sent the ball in the air to left.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The $100 million price tag attached to the legal action is to make sure the city takes Brown’s allegations seriously — and ensure no one else is manhandled by the police without cause, Brown’s attorney Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The latter is what marked the winds that whipped the region on Sunday and resulted in the death of a 61-year-old Santa Rosa man,killed by a falling tree.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
-
There’s also a menu of small snacks, with mezzes like hummus, tzatziki, whipped feta, falafel, halloumi, artichoke and eggplant.—
Connie Ogle
May 15,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
When their convoy is brutally ambushed, they are left handcuffed together and, on the run, forcing her to put her life in his hands.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Minnesotans whose names were also inscribed at the memorial and who are being recognized this week are Anoka County Sheriff’s Detention Deputy Richard Legler, who was ambushed nearly 40 years ago, and Red Lake tribal police officer Jesse Branch.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
13 May 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 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
