How to Use rough in in a Sentence

rough in

verb
  • The grass was really rough in some areas.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
  • When the going gets rough in politics, mishap becomes metaphor.
    — Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 23 June 2026
  • Flagg recently returned from the foot injury, but he's been pretty rough in those four games.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The documentary business has been rough in recent years, which makes finding new audiences even more crucial.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The camera feed from the Olympic Broadcasting Services was rough in the moments after both golden goals.
    — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The same is true of Rafi, a 14-year-old who loves to play rough in bucolic surroundings and has a new crush, but also dreams of martyrdom.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The pavement gets rough in spots and the landscape takes charge, showing off Joshua trees, wide-open spaces and the remnants of ancient volcanic activity.
    — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The whole purpose of the First Amendment is to encourage strong, robust -- perhaps rough in some situations -- discourse.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The smooth, if slow, progression reflects a market back in gear after running rough in November, with rotation among sectors supporting the tape and suppressing volatility, the S & P 500 Volatility Index bleeding toward 15 for the first time in almost six weeks.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rough in.' 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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