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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
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of abuses
Verb
  • Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounds
Verb
  • Here, Rashford attacks the space behind Guehi, with Cunha positioning himself between the lines to complement the run which should stretch the defensive line, but Martinez doesn’t play the ball to either of them.
    — Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Ronald agrees to a quote that attacks Cooper for allowing violent criminals a second chance, when his son wouldn’t get one.
    — Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • Track how often your products appear in assistant answers, and track launch-window products apart from the catalog average, because the aggregate hides the cohort at risk.
    — Srijith Ravikumar, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • That way the top of the boots hides beneath the hem and peeks out just enough to elongate your legs.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of hides
Verb
  • 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
  • On his latest Hyperdub release, the Japanese producer born Takahide Higuchi sings more than on previous records but tortures his voice through a gauntlet of pitch-shifter effects.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026
Definition of tortures
Verb
  • Dovile, who calmly accepts her parents’ divorce when it’s announced to her, lashes out in school by attacking a boy for calling Ukrainians Nazis.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The best mascaras for older women help coat lashes with color while addressing the annoying issues that come with age.
    — Micaela English, Glamour, 14 Aug. 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 19 Sep. 2026.

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