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)
Verb
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Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
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At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
Verb
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New York City’s child welfare agency routinely abuses its emergency power to take children from their parents without a court order, creating lifelong consequences for families, a new class-action lawsuit seeking to end the practice alleged Thursday.
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People deserve a government that watches out for our people’s best interests, not one that abuses its powers and sells us to the highest bidder.
Verb
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Back from a hamstring injury, Teoscar Hernández rejoins a relentless Dodgers offense that pounds 17 hits and three homers in a 9-4 win over the Athletics.
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Teams go bonkers when the player pounds their school name on the bracket.
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Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Another device, called a 4-Poster bait station, attacks the ticks that congregate on deer’s heads.
Verb
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Below the dash, the center console is simplified with a small panel of control buttons, a wireless phone charge pad, cup holders and an arm rest that hides a bit of storage space.
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Other supplements come in gelatin capsules, made from collagen derived from cow and pig bones and hides, or mixed with dairy binders such as lactose and sodium caseinate.
Verb
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The retrospection tortures her.
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Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.
Verb
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Continue reading … SEISMIC SUPPORT — AOC lashes out at Trump for 'betrayal' of voters after key SCOTUS immigration ruling.
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Harris also shows us the burn scars that ripple up Racine’s arm and across Anaia’s face, textured skin that makes strangers blanch, to which Racine lashes out defensively.
Verb
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All seems lost when a group of Stormtroopers ambushes the crew, but IG-11 heroically sacrifices himself to save them.
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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.
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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 3 Jul. 2026.
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