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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
  • Baldwin’s post featured a video of the dog licking a cherry ice pop and looking at the rain.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The licking branch is just as important as the scrape beneath it.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • At no point did anyone believe that Peyton Manning or SNL espoused abusing kids.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026
  • According to Dutch News, Ben Saunders struggled with health issues and had various run-ins with law enforcement over the years, including a 2016 community service sentence for abusing a traffic official.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • The deaths came amid late-season monsoon storms pounding the Navajo Nation, damaging roads, inundating remote communities and prompting a state of emergency.
    — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • With styles rooted in Texas, Kansas City, North Carolina and Memphis, barbecue often elicits table-pounding opinions.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • The consequence is really mechanical attacking that surprises nobody and desperately needs a rogue element.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The baby has been with the couple since birth, and Uthmeier’s office is not attacking their fitness as parents, Jay said.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • Rather than backing Sanon, Badio supported another candidate, Haitian Superior Court Justice Windelle Coq Thélot, who later died while in hiding.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Following a tip from a Holocaust survivor, Joseph is investigating the possibility that Russel might be a Nazi in hiding.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Ashley Delaney of Polk City, who has served on the district's board since 2024, was charged in May with misdemeanor assault for allegedly manhandling the student.
    — William Morris, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of manhandling
Verb
  • These are just two of the many scenes of destruction the hurricane has left in Hawaii after lashing the state’s western islands with heavy rain, widespread flooding and tropical-storm-force winds on Monday and Tuesday.
    — Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
  • This week’s meeting of G20 finance ministers underscored rising global trade tensions, with several countries, including the US, lashing out at China.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • While the left guard competition remains open, Jones has been on the first string for over a week since replacing Connor Colby, and Jones stood out with an aggressive, mauling nature against the Titans.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Gunther slowed the match down, mauling Aldis and sending him flying into the corner.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

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