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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Noun

Adjective

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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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Noun
Days out from the historic vote, the race also has become a new venue for the city’s infamously rough-and-tumble politics. — Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 Hong, favoring a backward-facing view of the mayhem, shoots in lengthy takes that swerve and snake with rough-and-tumble precision; the energies of car and camera seem to fuse into one. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 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

See All Rhymes for rough-and-tumble

Browse Nearby Words

rough-and-ready
rough-and-tumble
rough-bark
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Cite this Entry

“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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