as in horseplay
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
roughhousing was simply part of growing up in a family with four boys
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roughhousing
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The actor shared rare photos of the teen with his younger siblings, getting it in at the gym, hiking, and roughhousing.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The actor shared rare photos of the teen with his younger siblings, getting it in at the gym, hiking, and roughhousing.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughhousing
Noun
-
The precisely choreographed horseplay in the first act of his Nutcracker is physical comedy at its best.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
More horseplay: Saturday brings the 75th running of the Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, a chance to watch horses that will soon run in the Kentucky Derby, but also an excuse for locals to dress up with outfits topped by a hat or fascinator.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Congress is not wrestling with big or important questions right now.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Document management doesn’t have to mean chasing down signatures or wrestling with clunky PDF tools.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is why some people work nine hours a day, go to the gym, and roughhouse with their kids in the evening, while others already feel tired just thinking about this daily schedule.—
Lieke ten Brummelhuis,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
This makes the roughhouse ballet a satisfying bridge to the final scene in Roberta’s room, where their vulnerabilities are revealed.—
Peter Marks,
Washington Post,
14 Nov. 2023
Verb
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That meant a pre-existing zero-tariff trade environment for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic was overridden, slapping new duties onto Scotch whisky and other spirits sent to America from Britain.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
-
The movie's December 2022 release was largely overshadowed by the aftermath of Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at that year's Academy Awards.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to a Reddit post from the company and a spokesperson, the Spectrum emails are legit and are part of the FBI’s effort to crack down on Russian hackers abusing 23 TP-Link router models.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Scalping the lawn can assist doveweed's spread by cutting up pieces that root all over the lawn.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roughhousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughhousing. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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