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
  • Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026
  • At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Definition of licks
Verb
  • 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.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
  • 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.
    — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Definition of abuses
Verb
  • 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.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • Teams go bonkers when the player pounds their school name on the bracket.
    — John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of pounds
Verb
  • After the match, David Finlay attacks White before the rest of the Bang Bang Gang runs down to make the save.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Lawsuit attacks diversity efforts The lawsuit comes amid a broader crackdown on diversity initiatives nationwide as conservatives argue similar programs treat white people unfairly.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • The aggregate hides what exactly is falling and what might still be holding up.
    — Victor Karpenko, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Freeland resembles Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, drawing back the curtain that hides the smoke machine when the Wizard of Oz is not a wizard at all, but a carnival illusionist distracting the population.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 July 2026
Definition of hides
Verb
  • The retrospection tortures her.
    — Alexandra Rockey Fleming, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Definition of tortures
Verb
  • Ukrainian officials have warned residents to guard against further strikes as Russia lashes out.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
  • Continue reading … SEISMIC SUPPORT — AOC lashes out at Trump for 'betrayal' of voters after key SCOTUS immigration ruling.
    — , FOXNews.com, 26 June 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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