1
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in abusing
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 roughing (up)
Verb
-
Maximilien, a French national, allegedly uploaded a clip of himself licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine before putting it back in the dispenser.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026 -
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The White House declined to comment on the allegations against former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who stepped down last week after multiple allegations of abusing her position’s power, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Under the plan, FISA, which allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens, would be extended for three years, with new oversight guardrails and penalties for abusing the spy tool.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From tracking down a missing student in the wilderness of British Columbia to extracting a murder confession from a surfer in Tofino, Shade and Angie prove life on the West Coast is packed with heart-pounding thrills.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Winger Xavi Simons’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury will keep him out for some time, with striker Dominic Solanke also pulling up — albeit his ailment appears less serious — at Molineux to cast doubt over Spurs’ attacking firepower in the upcoming weeks.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
He was also found guilty of two counts of assault for attacking two other men with butcher knives.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hospital surveillance footage captured Talley pointing the gun at the room where the technician was hiding, Pekara said, before starting to make his way out of the building.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
After a search of the area, police located both suspects, who police said are teenagers, hiding nearby and took both into custody.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But this year’s edition could be the best one yet, and the Wolverines will get a chance to prove that next week in Indianapolis after manhandling Tennessee 95-62 yesterday at the United Center to clinch a spot in the Final Four.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Illini literally soaked in the celebration Thursday night after manhandling hometown favorite Houston to advance to the Elite 8 for the second time in three years.—
Ryan Baker,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Not long after, the White House began lashing out at Democrats and the media over the shooting.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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On his last day before he’s scheduled to ride off on his motorcycle for a three-month sabbatical that’s only barely disguising his suicidal ideation, Robby spends his final shift lashing out at his co-workers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Or left tackle Theo Benedet pulling into the open field in Cincinnati, sprinting well beyond the line of scrimmage, starting his block on Geno Stone 4 yards from the sideline, then mauling the Bengals safety within inches of a bench.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
City enters Week 2 of the new campaign as Premier League leader after mauling its way to a 4-0 win over Wolves on opening weekend.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Roughing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughing%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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