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)
Verb
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After milking, the cows would return themselves to their fresh pasture and spend the day grazing, snoozing, licking one another, and cooling off in the shade of pine trees.
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Bring along a friend who wouldn’t be able to indulge in these kinds of finger-licking treats otherwise.
Verb
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America’s youth have been increasingly abusing common over-the-counter medications, according to poison center records.
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Uber’s campaign accused trial attorneys of unethically abusing their clients and attorneys said the company is attempting restructure longstanding civil justice laws to escape accountability for harm caused by its drivers.
Verb
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Be mesmerized by the dazzling lasers and pulse-pounding tunes from the movie in this unforgettable experience.
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An apartment surveillance video captured a man pounding on the window, before Davis gave him a key.
Verb
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He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
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Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Verb
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The country’s singular role in hiding Jews from their Nazi occupiers is well documented.
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The anti-Trump rage, the surge of younger, more educated progressive voters, the hunger for someone willing to fight on affordability with policy, message, and tone, in Albany and Washington — all of it was hiding in plain sight for anyone looking at the data rather than the tired, old playbook.
Verb
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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.
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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.
Verb
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Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster is apologizing after lashing out at a critic.
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Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico in September 2022 as a Category 1 storm, lashing once more a power grid that hadn’t been rebuilt from Hurricane Maria.
Verb
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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.
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Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later.
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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 1 Jul. 2026.
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