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)
Verb
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Gilgeous-Alexander licked his chops at what Game 1 presented.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026 -
When a boy had licked her neck at a party during the first week of college, a stranger!—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Over the ensuing years, the estate worked aggressively to manage and grow the estate’s assets, in tandem with fighting off a growing number of allegations from men who said that the singer had abused them as children.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
27 May 2026
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Organizers are now working with local police and monitoring cameras to make sure the system is not being abused.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Doval pounded his chest after retiring Kazuma Okamoto on a game-ending grounder to shortstop Anthony Volpe with two runners in scoring position.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
The Rockies pounded Keller for six runs on six hits in the fifth to blow open the game.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Indigenous men grieved but also fumed when women were attacked.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
In 1926, when the founder of modern Saudi Arabia conquered Mecca, his religious militia attacked the Egyptian caravan in a clash known as the Maḥmal Incident.—
Iqbal Akhtar,
The Conversation,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Rafael Devers and Chapman followed with consecutive hits before Susac lashed a two-run single to left field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
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In response, the president defended the fund and lashed out at its critics.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
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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
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The $100 million price tag attached to the legal action is to make sure the city takes Brown’s allegations seriously — and ensure no one else is manhandled by the police without cause, Brown’s attorney Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Last month, as a steady, pre-rainy season wind whipped off the Atlantic Ocean, the sounds of samba, morna and jazz filled the streets.—
Ricci Shryock,
NPR,
27 May 2026
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Having whipped her own business into shape for the AI era, Sweet is better prepared to guide companies across industries through their own transformations.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The scene is near where a gunman ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard last November.—
Darlene Superville,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
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The scene is near where a gunman ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard in November.—
Darlene Superville,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Roughed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughed%20%28up%29. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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