rough-and-tum·ble
ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl 
: rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling
also
: infighting
1
: marked by rough-and-tumble
grew up in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere—
E. J. Kahn
E. J. Kahn
also
: rough-and-ready
2
: put together haphazardly : makeshift
a rough-and-tumble fence
Synonyms
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
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2025
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
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 
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Noun
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 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
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
Dictionary Entries Near rough-and-tumble
Cite this Entry
“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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