roughing

verb

present participle of rough
as in chopping

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughing
  1. chopping
  2. punching
  3. slapping
  4. pummeling
  5. whacking
  6. knocking
  7. smacking
  8. mauling
Verb
  • Picking up the ball 30 yards from goal, Messi set off on a mazy run, chopping one way and then the other, leaving a trail of players behind him.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026
  • Last year, Katz filmed a video of his new protégé shucking oysters, chopping wood, swinging kettlebells, and speaking directly to the camera in a muddy sweatshirt about how the oligarchy had screwed their beloved state.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of chopping
Verb
  • But that hasn’t stopped one of the country’s increasingly renowned grape-growing regions from punching well above its weight.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 18 July 2026
  • Video footage of the incident appears to show two officers struggling with Hardy, with one of them punching her before taking her to the ground.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of punching
Verb
  • But when their panel ended, the sports stars got into a heated exchange that ended with Brady slapping Paul in the face.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • As seen in a video posted by Fanatics on Instagram and X, the former NFL quarterback traded words with Paul face-to-face before slapping him, and was ultimately pulled away.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • Behested payments make an excellent target for pummeling the presidential contender.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Vargas was among a group of three men being sought for pummeling the cab parked at 36th St and Seventh Ave.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
Definition of pummeling
Verb
  • Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week.
    — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
  • And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
Definition of whacking
Verb
  • But the opportunity to grab more shares might come knocking again if an encouraging report Wednesday is met with more profit-taking.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2026
  • Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026
Definition of knocking
Verb
  • With a Triple-A pitcher called up for a spot start and a utilityman smacking an early two-run homer, the Boston Red Sox, having now won eight straight games, keep winning with an unlikely formula.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • The first mode is a more simple impact detonation — simply put, smacking the asteroid's surface to create a shallow crater, in which a nuclear device is exploded.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
  • Chris Brown was seated at the defense table in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday, poised to testify at his dog-mauling trial, when the judge declared a mistrial due to juror misconduct.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Definition of mauling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

roughhousing
roughing
roughing it
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Cite this Entry

“Roughing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughing. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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