as in rough
hastily or roughly constructed
the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rough-and-tumble
Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Al Weaver, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
Successful gold mining today bears little resemblance to the storied era of America’s first gold boom: rough-and-tumble 19th-century boomtowns cropping up overnight to accommodate speculative prospectors, chasing gold veins and rumors.
—Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Adjective
The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.
—Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Noun
Ratcliffe experienced a rough-and-tumble confirmation process to become the director of national intelligence (DNI) in 2020.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
Successful gold mining today bears little resemblance to the storied era of America’s first gold boom: rough-and-tumble 19th-century boomtowns cropping up overnight to accommodate speculative prospectors, chasing gold veins and rumors.
—Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rough-and-tumble
Adjective
-
Sony has also had a bit of a rough time with the PS5 Pro, a device which has had at least some measure of technical problems where at times, its upgrades are failing to impress or even on occasion, making some games look worse.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Hard water can also cause clothes to feel rough and scratchy against your skin.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Impressive set-pieces are sprinkled throughout, from a rip-roaring car chase to open the film and a later brawl between Irene and a pair of shady mechanics (Michael Manuel and Taylor Misiak).—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
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At the conclusion of the Jayhawks’ 4-3 win, the teams got into a huge on-ice brawl.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Kisses her mouth, but the gesture is awkward, clumsy; their teeth strike together, and Brianna winces.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
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As well as making a star of Alicia Silverstone, the original movie showcased the talents of Paul Rudd who played her stepbrother Josh (and went onto become Phoebe’s partner in Friends and take on the role of Ant Man) and the late Brittany Murphy, who played Cher’s clumsy friend Tai.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Duke won 76-65 on the road in Louisville in the only regular-season clash between these teams.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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This style of play can make games often feel like the climax of a Star Wars movie where the action of the film cuts between clashes between starships and heroes on the ground.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Suncor operates the only refinery in Colorado, processing about 98,000 barrels of crude oil per day.—
Noelle Phillips,
The Denver Post,
13 Mar. 2025
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The measures included a ban on seaborne Russian crude oil exports and a price cap of $60 per barrel on Russian oil.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The move garnered mixed reactions, with many calling out Brown for his rude tone and choice of words.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
18 Mar. 2025
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Shift The Focus To Collaboration Sometimes, rude colleagues act out of insecurity or stress.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Their rough-and-ready vérité shooting style creates an intimacy with the subject that deepens the emotional response to music that for many of us is ingrained in our DNA.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Nov. 2024
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James meets rough-and-ready cowboy Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) upon arrival in Fort Worth and joins his wagon train heading West.—
Rendy Jones,
EW.com,
9 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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