rough (up)

verb

Definition of rough (up)next
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to abuse
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough (up)
  1. lick
  2. abuse
  3. hide
  4. attack
  5. pound
  6. ambush
  7. lash
  8. manhandle
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Universal’s Wicked licked the $500M global milestone this session, adding $21.5M from 81 offshore markets (-39%) to lift the international cume to $166M. With $525M, global, the movie is playing more to domestic, as expected, but continues to make its mark overseas.
    Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Anxious dogs that like to obsessively lick, dig or sniff might also like pad toys.
    Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The University of Chicago has long abused its architectural treasures.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
  • On Tuesday, lawmakers approved a special counsel to investigate whether Yoon committed insurrection and abused his power by issuing martial law.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Yang then bemoaned how people shoot lasers at him and hide their kids.
    Anne McCarthy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Studying the sun's corona is extremely difficult because it is hidden by light from the star's surface, according to NASA.
    Chandelis Duster, NPR, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of hide
Verb
  • On that day's episode of SmackDown, Cargill was attacked by an unknown assailant and found injured on top of a car.
    Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The 16-year-old who attacked Elbit Systems used two thermos flasks packed with explosives in an attack on the Israeli defense company and was charged alongside a 23-year-old accomplice, according to Bloomberg.
    Louis Casiano, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Consider marinating or pounding it thin for quicker and more tender results when needed.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024
  • And in Yemen, the Houthi rebels, another Iranian ally, have been pounded in air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition in response to their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
    Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of pound
Verb
  • Critics argue that these plans frequently serve more as legal protection for employers than as sincere efforts to enhance employee performance, with many workers feeling ambushed, targeted and destined for failure when placed on a PIP.
    Jack Kelly, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
  • The adjustment in build-up patterns ambushed Leipzig and gave Villa immediate control.
    Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of ambush
Verb
  • But right now, the Chargers might be lashed to a log, helplessly bobbing toward a Buffalo buzz saw.
    Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
  • While some destinations in Spain have lashed out against tourism recently, notably the Balearic and Canary Islands, Barcelona, and Málaga, foreign residents don’t report feeling discriminated against.
    Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Yet Ait-Nouri gave Cutler and Bentley the slip in an attempt to confront Burns again, only for Dawson to grab him and manhandle him away.
    Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
  • The Raiders won the past two playoff games by manhandling North Miami 58-0 and dispatching a feisty Blanche Ely team 53-32 last week.
    Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of manhandle
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near rough (up)

roughs (up)

rough (up)

rouging

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Cite this Entry

“Rough (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough%20%28up%29. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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