ROUGHHOUSE Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

roughhouse 1 of 2

noun

ˈrəf-ˌhau̇s

Definition of roughhouse

as in roughhousing

wildly playful or mischievous behavior their parents simply wouldn't tolerate any roughhouse in the living room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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roughhouse

2 of 2

verb

as in to wrestle

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in to cut up

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of roughhouse

Noun

Geno lost his composure at the end of the game, picked up a T, then critiqued South Carolina’s roughhouse style. — Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2023 Brazil’s team, a double defending champion, had been eliminated in the group stage in the 1966 championship in England, with Pelé literally kicked out of the tournament by the roughhouse play of Brazil’s opponents. — Tariq Panja, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2022

Verb

In the clip, four male golden retriever puppies were roughhousing. — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 While the attempt is made to laugh this off as the result of some sort of roughhousing with Chelsea, even Chrishell suggests to the camera that there’s a more adult explanation. — Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for roughhouse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughhouse

Noun

As expected, Aussies brought the roughhousing.

— Sean Gregory, Time, 20 June 2026
The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of roughhousing

Verb

Police wrestled him down, and Fauci, dressed in his white lab coat, bolted downstairs.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
That means a rare Friday session, when the Senate will finish its saga on Russia sanctions after wrestling with the issue for more than a year.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of wrestle

Verb

Sporting Kansas City joined the vanquished Galaxy and Real Salt Lake on Saturday as LAFC cut up the last-place team in the Western Conference, 4-0.

— Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026
Use leftover cheese scraps, cut up, in pasta salad, melted in macaroni and cheese, or add to snack boxes.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026

Definition of cut up

Verb

The lawsuit isn’t the first to accuse Ye of mistreating a fellow musician.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026
In their July 30 letter, lawmakers noted that there have been at least 15 incidents since 2023 involving staff physically mistreating children at the Morgantown facility, as documented by Pennsylvania state inspectors.

— Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistreat

Verb

Three sitting rooms are complemented by a further three members’ social spaces for carousing in, concealed behind a subtle screen (here, DJs including Goldierocks make appearances, and mobile snaps are banned; staff politely place a sticker over mobile camera lenses).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to reunite with her old girlfriend Nel (Lena Góra), and carouse across lofts, clubs, and back alleys, leaving her erstwhile partner stranded.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of carouse

Noun

When horseplay turns into an impromptu hookup, neither of the young men fight the urge.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
After France’s 4-3 victory against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, horseplay between the players at the team hotel culminated in back-up centre-back Adil Rami setting off a fire extinguisher in the early hours of the morning.

— Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026

Definition of horseplay

Verb

Her scrolled embroideries have since been described as tirades, rants, and screeds—no horses or cables, just the language pummeling the eye.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
In the top of the third inning, Lombard, in his second at-bat, pummeled a breaking ball into the visitors' bullpen for a solo home run for the Jupiter Hammerheads.

— Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of pummel

Browse Nearby Words

rough-hewn

roughhouse

roughhoused

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“Roughhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughhouse. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of roughhouse

noun

verb

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