rough-and-tumble

1 of 2

noun

rough-and-tum·ble ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl

Synonyms of rough-and-tumble next

: rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling

also : infighting

rough-and-tumble

2 of 2

adjective

: marked by rough-and-tumble

grew up in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere—

E. J. Kahn

also : rough-and-ready

: put together haphazardly : makeshift

a rough-and-tumble fence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As other banks chased trends like lending to infrastructure projects or telcos—and got stuck with bad loans—HDFC Bank focused on providing retail financial products to an army of consumers, building a reputation for credibility and consistency in India’s sometimes rough-and-tumble banking world. —

Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 5 Aug. 2024 Because the external components are somewhat fragile and obtrusive, users have to take them off when swimming, sleeping, or engaging in rough-and-tumble activities such as sports. —

Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 19 July 2024

Adjective

The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store. —

Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023 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

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.

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

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.

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