ROUGHHOUSING Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

roughhousing 1 of 2

noun

as in horseplay

wildly playful or mischievous behavior roughhousing was simply part of growing up in a family with four boys

Synonyms & Similar Words

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roughhousing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of roughhouse

as in wrestling

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in clowning

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 roughhousing

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 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 device’s user manual also warns it should not be used in response to verbal defiance, or for punishment, torture or horseplay.

— Ryan J. Foley, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
The device's user manual also warns it should not be used in response to verbal defiance, or for punishment, torture or horseplay.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of horseplay

Verb

Using LLMs to smooth out the challenges of wrestling with a text, of struggling to find the right words to convey a thought, of piloting one’s own personal and intellectual development, is antithetical to this type of education.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Getting them in a room together was like wrestling mythological beasts.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of wrestling

Verb

Cut the half into thin wedges by making ½-inch slices lengthwise through the onion, cutting up to, but not through, the root end.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
What parents can do on hectic mornings Nemours recommends doing as much as possible the night before, from setting out dishes to cutting up fruit.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of cutting up

Noun

The boys still have room to roughhouse—and even space to set up their Ping-Pong table near the living area.

— Jody Garlock, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026
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

Definition of roughhouse

Verb

Russia has been pummelling Kyiv with what is now the longest, most intense aerial attack against the capital – just as Ukrainian families prepare for the start of the new school year.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops.

— Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of pummeling

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
The team were meek in defeat, but after a weekend carousing and communing in central London, Newcastle fans arrived at Wembley with a collective hangover.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026

Definition of carousing

Noun

Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Many readers — some likely joking — shared their grievances with Elmo.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of joking

Verb

At the weigh-ins and face-off for the IBF heavyweight championship fight, Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage and the latter retaliated by slapping the former's face.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Already, Skubal’s joining in on pregame handshake lines and slapping the dugout railing in time to Roki Sasaki’s warm-up music.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of slapping

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roughing

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“Roughhousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughhousing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of roughhousing

noun

verb

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