rough-and-tumble

1 of 2

noun

rough-and-tum·​ble ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl How to pronounce rough-and-tumble (audio)
Synonyms of rough-and-tumblenext
: rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling
also : infighting

rough-and-tumble

2 of 2

adjective

1
: marked by rough-and-tumble
… grew up in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere …—E. J. Kahn, Jr.
also : rough-and-ready
2
: put together haphazardly : makeshift
a rough-and-tumble fence

Synonyms of rough-and-tumble

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Examples of rough-and-tumble in a Sentence

Noun a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands Adjective the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning
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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.
Noun
Hailing from London as the son of hardscrabble fruit sellers, Winstone was often asked to channel his rough-and-tumble upbringing and pre-acting career as a boxer into mobster and villain roles. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026 The 30-year-old has played in no fewer than 15 regular season games in the last three seasons, but his rough-and-tumble style hasn’t been aging gracefully. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1810, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rough-and-tumble was in 1810

Rhymes for rough-and-tumble

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Browse Nearby Words

rough-and-ready
rough-and-tumble
rough-bark
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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