Library / English Dictionary

ROUGH UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Treat violently

Example:

The police strong-armed the suspect

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "rough up" is one way to...):

beat; beat up; work over (give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to rough up the prisoners

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