as in rough
hastily or roughly constructed
the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rough-and-tumble
Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
The authors, sports journalists Frankie de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo, set out to give generations of rough-and-tumble women athletes their due.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Adjective
The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.
—Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Noun
Joe himself was one of these aging, progressive, rough-and-tumble types, half hippie and half Charles Bukowski.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
The authors, sports journalists Frankie de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo, set out to give generations of rough-and-tumble women athletes their due.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-tumble
Adjective
-
The pitching staff has been jostled, with a rough outing by lefty reliever Aaron Bummer on Monday necessitating his release on Tuesday.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
-
Government bonds in Australia and New Zealand are having a rough May.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Craig Mays, a parent at the school, told WTVG that the brawl broke out as families were beginning to take their seats for the graduation ceremony while the students were preparing downstairs.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
-
The win gives Bottoms a head start in the race to unify Democrats for November while Republicans remain locked in their own costly brawl.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Although at least 20 players support some type of protest, the rollout of the boycott that never happened, came across a bit clumsy.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
For one, the Frenchie vision is just corny and clumsy, and so is the idea of Kimiko harnessing the power of love to defeat the bad guy without succumbing to vengeful rage.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a way to do this without being rude.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
The strength of your answer doesn’t require you to be rude.—
John Richardson
Attia Qureshi,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some showstopping pieces were sold at Vivienne Westwood’s London shop Seditionaries, which revolutionized a rough-and-ready pop-culture style that still resonates to this day.—
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Its Blue Armchair, on show at design exhibition Convey, is blocky and rigid with rough-and-ready industrial detailing.—
Francesca Perry,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The primitive crops were critical to early agriculture and, in more recent times, have been a cheaper alternative to animal proteins.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
18 May 2026
-
However, several primitive campsites, boat ramps, and fishing piers sprinkled across the area give plenty of access to enjoy the lake at your leisure.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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