ROUGHING (UP) Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

roughing (up)

verb

present participle of rough (up)

as in licking

to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in abusing

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughing (up)

Verb

The team also pointed out that the same circuit is responsible for the expression of normal, context-appropriate grooming and licking.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.

— Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of licking

Verb

Berry’s ex-husband Olivier Martinez accused the actor of physically abusing their 12-year-old son last month.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
As reports of officers abusing Flock have made headlines and the company has become increasingly controversial, hundreds of cities and counties have ended or suspended their contracts with the company, or decided not to renew them.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of abusing

Verb

One man was already pounding another's head into a small hole that prisoners used as a toilet.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Breaking Benjamin As pounding as any heavy metal band, this Pennsylvania group hammers its way to surprisingly melodic choruses.

— Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of pounding

Verb

Murtis of the goddess Durga depict her astride a lion and attacking Mahishasura.

— Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
The president appeared to be attacking Andrews, a biological woman, over her alleged support of gender transitions for minors and transgender athletes in women’s sports.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacking

Verb

The teens then ran from law enforcement before being found hiding in a nearby backyard, with one of the suspects being taken into custody with the assistance of a police dog.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
What about when Carole was hiding in the closet to try to overhear Luann calling her a pedophile, and Jules Wainstein kept trying to ruin her ruse?

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

Hours later, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced the suspension of Acosta’s press pass, and, for good measure, falsely accused him of manhandling the aide who wanted the mike back.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
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

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

At the time, Guilfoyle was an assistant DA in San Francisco prosecuting a high-profile dog-mauling case and making the rounds on cable news.

— Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
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

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.

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roughing it

roughing (up)

rough it

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“Roughing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughing%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of roughing (up)

verb

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