roughs (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of rough (up)
1
as in licks
to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in abuses
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 roughs (up)
  1. licks
  2. abuses
  3. pounds
  4. attacks
  5. hides
  6. tortures
  7. lashes
  8. ambushes
Verb
  • That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of licks
Verb
  • Anyone who repeatedly abuses AI tools may soon find Claude giving them the silent treatment.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Detectives will continue investigating these cases aggressively, and anyone who abuses their position with a child will be held accountable.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of abuses
Verb
  • Wyatt pounds Poly, but win or lose the Chaps would be the second seed and Brewer third due to Wyatt’s win over the Bears.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of pounds
Verb
  • At the same time, in the real world, Lisa wakes up and attacks Thomas and Paladin, using her new, uh, nanobot powers?
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic (long-term) autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks healthy tissues, causing joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.
    — Health Editorial Team, HEALTH, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • More than 60 miles into the Andaman Sea, South Asia’s only active volcano hides a thriving underwater world shaped by fire and teeming with life.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Its story follows the Forgers, a household that keeps up the appearance of an ordinary life while each member hides something.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of hides
Verb
  • Most notably, the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is revealed to be Gandalf, and Sauron (Charlie Vickers) tortures and kills Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards).
    — Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
  • At first, all signs point to Bobby, including a mercenary who survived the attack on Halstead Manor that Eddie tortures to extract information.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of tortures
Verb
  • Her glam was equally gorgeous—fluttery lashes with a smooth complexion thanks to L’Oréal Paris’s Age Perfect Anti-Aging Midnight Cream Moisturizer.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Alpha 1, who’s most strict about the disease’s suppression, lashes out uncontrollably.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of lashes
Verb
  • All seems lost when a group of Stormtroopers ambushes the crew, but IG-11 heroically sacrifices himself to save them.
    — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
  • Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 29 Nov. 2025
Definition of ambushes
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

roughs it
roughs (up)
rough (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Roughs (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughs%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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