1
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025 -
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bowles abuses those pass-blocking rules by stunting the three-technique, Logan Hall (90), across the left guard's face, knowing the guard will follow him.—
Derrik Klassen,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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But outside of the ring, Christy hides and represses her lesbianism and winds up marrying her trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster), who manipulates and physically abuses her.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those with the condition do not create enough insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels—because their immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce it.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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If pathogens camouflage themselves successfully, this can lead to a sort of biological friendly fire, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own cells, unable to tell the difference between an invading pathogen and what was already there.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For even more ooey-gooey sweetness, the Apple Crumble Center of the Roll hides a dollop of that same cozy apple crumble in the heart of the cinnamon roll, turning every mouthful into a mini holiday moment.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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However, their stability has been restricted by quantum noise, which hides the atoms’ natural rhythm.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Harris Reed had more exaggerated bottom lashes and more clustered to the outer wing, lashes at Dreaming Eli were more centered and top-heavy, leaving the bottom lashes natural.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Sep. 2025
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His right hand lashes out periodically.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Vegas beats itself with Geno Smith interceptions.—
Greg Cote
October 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Oct. 2025
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Peg beats Mel at most of the games because of her extensive experience in law enforcement.—
Ali Barthwell,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
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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 Oct. 2025.
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