roughed (up)

verb

past tense of rough (up)
1
as in licked
to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in abused
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 roughed (up)
  1. licked
  2. abused
  3. pounded
  4. attacked
  5. lashed
  6. manhandled
  7. whipped
  8. ambushed
Verb
  • In Huntington Beach and San Clemente, the messy, wild waves licked the bottom of the pier structures.
    — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 9 June 2026
  • When the tiffin is returned licked clean, Ila sends another meal but with a note, leading to a rich correspondence between the two.
    — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Definition of licked
Verb
  • Some dogs fear brooms, vacuum cleaners or other household products, particularly if they’ve been hurt or abused in the past.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Lamar called out Drake for allegedly having a secret child, and Drake claimed that Kendrick abused his fiancée.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • Dansby Swanson hit three home runs, including a grand slam, Michael Conforto homered twice and the Chicago Cubs pounded the San Diego Padres 23-3 on Wednesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • Over a period of more than an hour, according to police reports and Sebold’s memoir, the assailant bludgeoned Sebold with his fists, pounded her skull into the brick and choked her.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Definition of pounded
Verb
  • Police said former professional soccer player Badea and another man attacked Zeraati before fleeing in a getaway car driven by Stana and then flying out of the country from Heathrow Airport.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • The three men who attacked our CBS News Chicago crew near Adler Planetarium before pointing a gun at people in Brighton Park on Monday afternoon have been charged.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of attacked
Verb
  • Many on the right lashed out at conservative justices who joined the majority decision.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • The sting of the Australian box jellyfish has been described as being lashed with a whip dipped in burning acid, and is powerful enough to kill an adult in as little as two minutes!
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 June 2026
Definition of lashed
Verb
  • During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of manhandled
Verb
  • Aceh’s Sharia court ordered the two people to be whipped with a rattan cane 21 times each for kissing without being married.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Impress party-goers with this Fourth of July colored layered dessert starring fresh berries, angel food cake, and whipped topping.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
Definition of whipped
Verb
  • In the suit, Ibrahim alleges that he was lured to the gym under the pretense of a challenge and was ambushed by Watson, a co-owner of the gym and two other men.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • The facility hosts a memorial for past police horses and former Officer Tara O’Sullivan, who was ambushed and killed when responding to a domestic violence incident in 2019.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of ambushed
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

roughed it
roughed (up)
roughen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roughed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughed%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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