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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At the time of her death, Sardinha was studying to become a counselor with the hope of working with women who had been abused, her mother told Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Leversen.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
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According to prosecutors, Maxwell helped Jeffrey Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse minor girls from about 1994 to about 2004, including girls as young as 14 years old.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Zakrzewski bought a machete during his lunch break, took it home and sharpened it before hiding it and a crowbar, according to court records.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
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The lawsuit accuses Tucson police of hiding or destroying evidence in the case, including radar evidence of Wadsack's speed, Pettey's recording of her conversation with Wadsack and several minutes of audio on Schrage's bodycam footage.—
Sarah Lapidus,
AZCentral.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Huckabee also visited the Christian community of Taybeh in the West Bank on Saturday after a church was reportedly attacked and vandalized by Israeli settlers.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
22 July 2025
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Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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There's something uniquely humbling about pounding the pavement for over 26 miles.—
Henry Fan,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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One nationwide study found that teenagers who had been stopped by police a lot often showed signs of post-traumatic stress, like feeling their heart pounding when recalling the event.—
Dr. Marvin So,
Mercury News,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Upon arrival, the alleged victim says he was ambushed by a group of men, including Wallace, who forcibly took him to a private room where Diddy was waiting.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
15 July 2025
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Milwaukee is mourning the loss of Officer Kendall Corder, who, along with partner Christopher McCray, was ambushed in an alleyway while responding to a report of suspect firing a gun.—
Jessica Van Egeren,
jsonline.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The face of the franchise lashed at a breaking ball in the fifth, pulling a hit onto open grass to double the lead.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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Beijing has lashed out against those concerns, including the 27-member bloc’s move last year to raise tariffs on its electric vehicles, launching a range of its own trade probes in apparent retaliation.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Verb
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He can be physically manhandled when attempting to seal powerful defensive ends and needs to be more assertive with his hands to keep his target engaged as a run blocker.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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So maybe the real culprit is the attempt to manhandle her sensibility into a studio-horror sequel.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 July 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 4 Aug. 2025.
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