rough up

phrasal verb

roughed up; roughing up; roughs up

informal

: to hit and hurt (someone)

The prisoner claimed that he was roughed up by the guards.

Examples of rough up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

The Dodgers and the security personnel who work their games have repeatedly been found liable of acting inappropriately after guards roughed up fans, in some cases causing severe injuries. —

Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 Joo Won Kang perfectly embodies Rocco, Marcellina’s prison guard father, roughing up his enveloping baritone with cranky gruffness whenever it was called for. —

Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024 After removing the plant from its nursery container, snip or prune girdling roots and rough up the surface of the root ball with your fingers. —

Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2024 No one likes a table that’s been roughed up because their cat needed an outlet for scratching. —

Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rough up