as in roughhousing
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
their parents simply wouldn't tolerate any roughhouse in the living room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to wrestle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cut up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roughhouse
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2021
Chewy orecchiette roughhouse with big hunks of sausage and broccolini, enrobed in a rich goat cheese fonduta.
—Dominic Armato, azcentral, 16 July 2019
Sandy West, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2023
In another, my son roughhoused with friends and Buddy attacked.
—Michelle Madden, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for roughhouse
Noun
Phil bitterly watches from a distance while his fellow cowhands roughhouse, bathe together and chase prostitutes at a local saloon.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2021
Chewy orecchiette roughhouse with big hunks of sausage and broccolini, enrobed in a rich goat cheese fonduta.
—Dominic Armato, azcentral, 16 July 2019
Verb
Raised on her family’s farm in conservative Nebraska in the 1960s and ’70s, Ashley Swartz took her cues about life from her surroundings: At home, the men worked the farm; elsewhere, boys roughhoused and participated in sports; at church, there was good and there was evil.
—Sandy West, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2023
In another, my son roughhoused with friends and Buddy attacked.
—Michelle Madden, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for roughhouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughhouse
Verb
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His aides had been wrestling with which defendants should be pardoned or have their sentences commuted.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
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This potential matchup immediately sparked considerable interest among fans, envisioning a unique blend of music and wrestling stardom colliding in the ring.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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So the final suit cuts up around his neck, and the floral embellishment on his clothes ties him into all of that.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2025
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Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/4 cup each shortening and cold butter, cut up, until pieces are pea size.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Behind her glamorous exterior, the real Dorothy was a closeted lesbian who struggled with substance abuse and was mistreated by the men within Hollywood’s studio system before ultimately committing suicide.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
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English, who denies the allegations, is at least the second state legislator to be investigated for allegedly mistreating aides in the past year.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Some allegedly caroused until dawn.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Mar. 2025
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From there, a series of scenes — a late-night house party full of adults drinking and carousing, a cascade of tinsel falling off a Christmas tree, a playground fail — replicate a you-are-there feeling as a preadolescent named Elwood Curtis navigates the agonies and ecstasies of boyhood.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
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Mike Vrabel’s back And the horseplay is going to stop, apparently.—
Josh Kendall,
The Athletic,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Last summer a Russian missile pummeled her workplace, the national children’s hospital in Kyiv.—
Dominique Soguel,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 Apr. 2025
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Arenado pummeled Megill’s four-seamer 385 feet to left for a walk-off home run, giving the Cardinals a 6-5 win.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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A lot of people have been clowning Sanders for the fall, especially after going after multiple other quarterbacks, including his new teammate Dillon Gabriel, who went 94th overall.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
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On Sunday, Ja hopped on X to fire a few shots at 50 Cent, who clowned Ja’s appearance on The Breakfast Club last week.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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First up, while people are revelling following the verdict, the emotional intensity of reaction can be traced to a sense of loss.—
Callum Booth,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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Key speeches are faithfully delivered to an audience of two, not thousands; a scene of soldiers destructively revelling on a bridge is given a different spirit by ironic, out-of-time horseplay.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roughhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughhouse. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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