How to Use rough-and-tumble in a Sentence

rough-and-tumble

noun
  • But why would these rough-and-tumble teenagers suddenly break into song?
    — Melena Ryzik Adali Schell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
  • That sort of rough-and-tumble street wear, with a do-it-yourself ethos, will always have a place here.
    — Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2023
  • In this rough-and-tumble era, trade wars were frequent and destabilizing.
    — Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
  • Think leather jackets twisted just so, rough-and-tumble slouchy pants, sumptuous faux fur coats and lots of trim suits.
    — Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
  • While Zip's was once a rough-and-tumble bar known for gambling and cheap beer, the cafe is now more family-friendly.
    — Usa Today Network, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Those who remember the truculence of those rough-and-tumble Ducks know how much of a sacrifice that was.
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 June 2025
  • Hormones grow the helpless newborn into a rough-and-tumble toddler who gains height through the hormones that lengthen the bones.
    — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
  • And there was nothing really rough-and-tumble about that environment.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • The sometimes rough-and-tumble process of transplanting from one pot and growing location to another can cause some plants to wilt.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
  • The book is also available in a hardcover option, though the board book is your best bet for withstanding rough-and-tumble toddlers.
    — Bridget Shirvell, Parents, 11 July 2023
  • All three involved Draymond Green, who injured his ribs, ankle and left wrist during a rough-and-tumble night.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Rabid fans of both clubs were treated to a rough-and-tumble 90 minutes marked by seven yellow cards and 26 fouls.
    — Sasha Richie, Dallas News, 30 July 2023
  • With rotomolded construction, this heavy-duty cooler can be used in any weather while standing up to rough-and-tumble use.
    — Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023
  • The right choice, the moral choice, is to make sure the most vulnerable Floridians aren’t left behind in this rough-and-tumble budget year.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Joe himself was one of these aging, progressive, rough-and-tumble types, half hippie and half Charles Bukowski.
    — Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Supergirl may not be as kind as her cousin, youngsters will recognize her goodness and big heart, even under a rough-and-tumble exterior.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • The central gay romance has a rough-and-tumble warmth, and the videogame sequences are crafted to highlight Apolline’s growing loneliness.
    — The New York Times, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • In fact, democracy is a pretty rough-and-tumble system of government, and voters sometimes demand that government step back.
    — Dominic Pino, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
  • With about a half a minute to go in a rough-and-tumble second stanza, Traven, up 5-0 on points, rolled one of Weber’s shoulder blades to the mat.
    — Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2025
  • The president’s base includes Fox News viewers as well as followers of the more rough-and-tumble right-wing blogosphere.
    — Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • The movie introduced fans to a rough-and-tumble baseball team that was welcoming a new member to their crew, building a rivalry with a ferocious dog, and looking for love poolside.
    — EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024
  • The pride in Plough’s expressions and the tone of his voice was reflective of the theme that every victory is to be savored in this rough-and-tumble sport, one in which no one weeps for the wounded.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • During that rough-and-tumble era in the Capitol, state lawmakers held statewide redistricting authority.
    — Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • More representation in hockey Hockey is a rough-and-tumble sport with occasional fighting and hard hits, even in crucial games where a penalty can prove costly.
    — Fernanda Figueroa, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Ishbia played college basketball for the famously rough-and-tumble Tom Izzo at Michigan State.
    — Greg Moore, The Arizona Republic, 8 May 2023
  • In the competition series’ Season 41 premiere, 16 veterans are each paired with a rookie partner for a rough-and-tumble battle for all the glory.
    — Nick Caruso, TVLine, 30 July 2025
  • But don’t worry about things getting repetitive, because their cheesy, wholesome (with a W) love story is markedly different from Hollander and Rozanov’s rough-and-tumble tryst.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
  • The six Roosevelt children captivated the nation, with the small rough-and-tumble boys becoming infamous for playing rambunctiously in the White House.
    — Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
  • There’s no guarantee that talking with Bondi about Epstein in a closed-door setting, even a deposition, will be more productive than the normally rough-and-tumble public hearings held by the panel.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Encounters with protest—as participants, observers, or opponents of it—are useful parts of learning for students who will eventually leave their campuses for a fractious, rough-and-tumble political world.
    — Christopher L. Eisgruber, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

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