1
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
-
Spit Heathcliff spends a lot of time straight-up licking Cathy’s face in this movie.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026 -
Even in the trailer, scenes of slapping dough, Robbie and Elordi kissing in the rain and Elordi licking a wall were telltale signs that this would be a heightened version of the actual romance depicted in the book.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Once installed, NexShield immediately starts abusing Chrome or Edge in the background.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Wearing the device was a requirement of his supervised release after being charged the previous week with abusing Velasquez’s child at the longtime daycare that Patty Bender operated out of her San Martin home.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On the northern end of California’s Central Coast, the region’s rolling hills and sunny beaches give way to misty bays and cypress groves, pounding turquoise surf and steep, plunging cliffs.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The cast of the heart-pounding story also features Stephen Tobolowsky, Frances Bay, and Peter Friedman.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The strategy marks a shift toward attacking cartels’ financial systems as law enforcement pressure mounts on traditional drug routes.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Dan Ndoye is capable of playing in a central attacking role and Morgan Gibbs-White has looked handy playing in a more advanced role.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The suspect was found hiding in the water of a canal, beneath a dock, and taken into custody.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Even so, what a jolt to finally see Duvall’s pale, blond Boo hiding behind a door as though (justly) scared of the spotlight.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
That’s exactly how the Miami Dolphins performed in Sunday’s 30-13 win against the Buffalo Bills in a contest Miami controlled all game, manhandling the reigning AFC East division champions to prove that the 2025 season isn’t over.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
After being outplayed by the home side for nearly all of the first half, Leeds took only four minutes of the second period to take the lead, Lukas Nmecha lashing home brilliantly from the edge of the penalty area.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The carnivorous mammal's teeth-baring image suggests a wilderness pushed to the margins and lashing out.—
Felicia Feaster,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Or left tackle Theo Benedet pulling into the open field in Cincinnati, sprinting well beyond the line of scrimmage, starting his block on Geno Stone 4 yards from the sideline, then mauling the Bengals safety within inches of a bench.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
City enters Week 2 of the new campaign as Premier League leader after mauling its way to a 4-0 win over Wolves on opening weekend.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Roughing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughing%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
