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
-
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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While the increasing numbers have been welcomed, authorities have expressed concern that the 60-day visa-free policy was being abused by foreign nationals seeking to work illegally or engage in crime.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
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The accusations against Freddy Zelaya, 46, began after a man came forward to report he had been abused by Zelaya as a child, according to a series of arrest affidavits by the Miami Beach Police Department.—
Sofia Saric
May 20,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
When the war began, a cornered Iran lashed out by attacking its neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a 45-year-old coalition of energy-rich Arab monarchies including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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That set the stage for Varsho, who lashed at a two-strike fastball and sent the ball in the air to left.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
14 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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The latter is what marked the winds that whipped the region on Sunday and resulted in the death of a 61-year-old Santa Rosa man,killed by a falling tree.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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There’s also a menu of small snacks, with mezzes like hummus, tzatziki, whipped feta, falafel, halloumi, artichoke and eggplant.—
Connie Ogle
May 15,
Miami Herald,
15 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
-
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 27 May. 2026.
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