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
Joo Won Kang perfectly embodies Rocco, Marcellina’s prison guard father, roughing up his enveloping baritone with cranky gruffness whenever it was called for.
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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
After getting roughed up by rival CU last week, and with the schedule stiffening with Oregon State and conference play in October, CSU picked up a harder-than-it-should’ve-been win over UTEP at Canvas Stadium.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rough up 
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
After getting roughed up by rival CU last week, and with the schedule stiffening with Oregon State and conference play in October, CSU picked up a harder-than-it-should’ve-been win over UTEP at Canvas Stadium.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rough up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rough up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough%20up. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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