1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to abuse
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 rough (up)
Verb
-
But Fahy, Alcock, and director Nicole Kassell are also very good at their jobs, and so even downright bizarre moments like Simone chewing Michaela’s used gum or Devon randomly licking a landscaper’s neck wind up making a strange sort of sense.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
22 May 2025 -
Jose shrugs, pleads with her to not lick anyone at the inn, and leaves.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
The bill was named after Trey Carlock, a Dallas native who died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 28 after being abused by a Missouri summer camp director.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
-
Two tribal nations filed a lawsuit saying that the federal government used the trust fund money of tribes to pay for boarding schools where generations of Native children were systematically abused.—
Graham Lee Brewer,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
Though Polish presidential candidates often stand as individuals, rather than representatives of a party, there is little hiding their affiliations, and each major party historically endorses and campaigns for a candidate.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
-
Ukraine was able to smuggle drones deep into Russia by hiding them in the tops of flatbed trucks, which parked near military bases before the drones lifted off to attack planes on the runway.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
There are several leaf spotting diseases that can attack hydrangeas.—
Janet B. Carson,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
-
According to authorities, Ward told them the fight and stabbing were self-defense, claiming the mother attacked and punched her several times in the face.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Every time my phone rang, my heart started pounding.—
Matt Wolf,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
-
After the car came to a stop, the video showed, angry Liverpool fans swarmed it again, pounding on its windows and exterior as police rushed to secure the scene.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
The snake uses large eyes in daylight and heat-sensing divots along its lips in darkness to detect and ambush unlucky birds, bats and rodents that come too close, stopping their hearts with a muscular embrace.—
Alex Fox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
16 May 2025
-
Three adult suspects and a minor arrested in a North Richland Hills murder case met the 17-year-old victim at a park for a drug deal, ambushed him and shot him, according to their arrest warrant affidavits.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
In a second Memorial Day social media post, Trump focused largely on lashing out at federal judges and perceived political opponents.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
26 May 2025
-
President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to attack Ukraine while talks are ongoing between the two countries to find an end to the ongoing conflict.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
As a team, the Celtics shot 4-for-20 from deep and were manhandled on the boards, with New York owning a 32-18 rebounding edge at halftime.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
17 May 2025
-
Winning on the margins must replace manhandling inferior opponents, perhaps why base runners who rarely showed any aggression are now hunting an extra 90 feet with every ball put in play.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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
“Rough (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share