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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1
as in wrestling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in clowning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughhousing
Noun
-
Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025 -
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
Verb
-
That’s an impressive feat given there was almost two hours without wrestling on a three-hour show.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Tonight's broadcast promises an exciting lineup of special guests, including John Cena, who will officially retire from wrestling this year, along with Logan Paul, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Weighing between eight and 10 pounds, these pooches are not ideal for young kids who tend to roughhouse.—
Country Living,
Country Living,
1 May 2023
Noun
-
Idris Elba is the British prime minister (and ex-soldier) who has no time for his tomfoolery.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
-
Sadly, the Academy has released no rules preventing the tomfoolery that led to two leading actors winning the Supporting categories this year.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
-
Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
There’s some slapstick comedy and threatening language that may need to be discussed with younger kids.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
18 July 2025
-
This is the kind of transformation the Rockies, who took Condon with the third pick in the ’24 Draft and signed him with a $9.25 million bonus, desperately need to go from slapstick comedy to serious contenders.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Roughhousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughhousing. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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