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
-
The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026 -
On April 30, 2025, the dog was reportedly licking its tail and lethargic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Although this may change, as people who have acquired Irish citizenship but aren't Irish-born are abusing it, adding to the immigration woes in Britain.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The thought of giving a platform to someone abusing their staff is something to lose both my appetite and sleep over.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Surprise, surprise, the drums started pounding for the SOB Act shortly after (though various legislative attempts have floated since Proposition 12 was passed) backed by a Midwestern congresswoman from a Big Pork state.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The team became the spectacle of Havana, with Maduro’s Gran Stadium filling with the sound of pounding drums and a conga line snaking through the crowd, as baseball felt more like a festival than a game.—
Tyler Carmona,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The American always had the engine and work rate to flit between defensive and attacking duties in a central midfield berth.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Iran's state television said Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would be attacking oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an attack on facilities associated with its offshore South Pars natural gas field.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The lender is also alleging the whiskey company is hiding a receipt of a $20 million loan, in part, from rapper and businessman Jay-Z.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Surveillance video later showed Coogler hiding in a nearby backyard shortly after the shooting.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lee had been caught on video back in 2017 shouting at a woman who was reportedly his girlfriend, manhandling her and calling her names, in a confrontation allegedly broken up by a teammate.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Social media served up a daily video deluge of heavily armed agents randomly manhandling dark-skinned people.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Harvey Prager had been on watch for hours, steering through lashing rain and 20-foot waves in the Yucatan Channel.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, a powerful atmospheric river has been lashing Hawaii with relentless rain over the past five days, causing widespread flash flooding and landslides.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 23 Mar. 2026.
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