roughing (up)

verb

present participle of rough (up)
1
as in licking
to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in abusing
to abuse physically the photographer claimed that he had been roughed up by the actor's bodyguards outside the club

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughing (up)
  1. licking
  2. abusing
  3. pounding
  4. attacking
  5. hiding
  6. manhandling
  7. lashing
  8. mauling
Verb
  • That means no tasting cookie dough made with raw eggs, no licking brownie batter off the beaters, and no homemade Caesar dressing made with uncooked yolks.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026
  • Other signs of stress included head shaking, licking its lips, yawning, or scratching behind the ears.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • Turay’s glassy guitar licks have a Metheny-ish tint to them, while Bemis opts to ride quick, slinky rhythms rather than abusing his crash cymbal.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • DeKalb deputy adds to concerning trend in Georgia The arrest of the DeKalb deputy adds to a growing list of law enforcement officials who have been caught abusing the license plate data they have been given access to and tasked with protecting.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • The series adaptation will blend futuristic science with mystical lore, delivering on the heart-pounding suspense and international intrigue that has made the Langdon stories a global phenomenon.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 27 July 2026
  • In their only debate and across the campaign trail, Elliott has been pounding away that the rich pay a smaller percentage of their overall income in taxes than the working poor.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • Okot applied that advice by limiting unnecessary dribbles and attacking the basket more efficiently.
    — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
  • Zizou helped lead his national team to its first-ever World Cup trophy, with the attacking midfielder scoring two goals in the 1998 final.
    — Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • Infectious disease specialists aren't disinfecting every surface or hiding from the outside world.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026
  • My son’s lizard looks emaciated and spends all day and night hiding underneath a piece of wood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • But this year’s edition could be the best one yet, and the Wolverines will get a chance to prove that next week in Indianapolis after manhandling Tennessee 95-62 yesterday at the United Center to clinch a spot in the Final Four.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The Illini literally soaked in the celebration Thursday night after manhandling hometown favorite Houston to advance to the Elite 8 for the second time in three years.
    — Ryan Baker, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Definition of manhandling
Verb
  • Relentless rains were lashing Texas Hill Country on Thursday, with flash flood emergencies reported across the region, rescues ongoing and waters rising to deadly levels.
    — Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 16 July 2026
  • Julian Quinones — Mexico/Al Qadsiah (-7) Quinones took his World Cup goal tally to four by lashing a loose ball into the roof of the net against England.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • In July 2025, the San Bernardino Police Department said one of its officers fatally shot a dog after responding to an incident in which a woman later died from her injuries believed to have been caused by the dog mauling.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 21 July 2026
  • Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 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

roughing it
roughing (up)
rough it
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Cite this Entry

“Roughing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughing%20%28up%29. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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