1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to abuse
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 rough (up)
Verb
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The Boston Celtics are still licking their wounds following the heartbreaking end to the 2024-25 NBA season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025 -
And Lil Wayne agrees by licking my face, which is part of the job description for companion dogs.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Overstreet received a $2,700 check from the Ocala Police Department for his nonprofit in 2022, during the same timeframe when he was accused of abusing the teen girl, records show.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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Under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and abused.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Such a deal is not going to bring about North Korea’s denuclearization, of course, and Pyongyang will likely attempt to cheat by hiding some of its nuclear facilities.—
ANDREI LANKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
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Keep scrolling for more impressive Prime Day deals on hidden camera detectors hiding throughout the site, starting at $24.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Making homes more energy efficient is also a way to reduce carbon emissions, and thus attack the cause of more frequent and severe heat waves.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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But one cost of that strong-arm approach quickly became apparent when Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced his retirement right after after Trump attacked him for opposing the bill, creating an open seat that will become Democrats’ best Senate opportunity in 2026.—
Ronald Brownstein,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Hole-in-the-Wall, a unique rock formation that has a large arch carved through it by the relentless pounding of the ocean.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
7 July 2025
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For the first time since the storms began pounding Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Verb
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While many of us watched with horror as the death toll in Central Texas mounted after catastrophic floods, a group of people ambushed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Alvarado.—
Dallas Morning News,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
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Sami Zayn Sami Zayn was ambushed by Karrion Kross during his entrance.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Less than a week after Hegseth suspended them, deliveries abruptly started up again after President Donald Trump said Ukraine needed weapons to defend itself and lashed out at Vladimir Putin with the harshest language he's yet directed at the Russian leader.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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More than a foot of rain lashed the region before the river flooding on Friday afternoon, NWS meteorologist James Wingenroth told Newsweek.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Bronte looks fabulous in a slinky green dress, but Clayton’s unwelcome arrival upsets her until Clayton manhandles her and Joe beasts out, shoving him into a bookcase and telling him to leave her alone.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Brooks, a 43-year-old Black man, was punched, kicked, choked and manhandled in the Dec. 9 beating at Marcy Correctional Facility north of Utica.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
16 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rough (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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