Treat violently (7) Crossword Clue
Answer: ROUGH UP (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Treat violently (5,2)" with 7 letters is "ROUGH UP"."ROUGH UP" is a slang expression that means to treat someone violently or to physically assault them. It generally implies using force, aggression, or violence to harm or intimidate someone. The term is often used in contexts where a person is beaten or handled in a harsh, aggressive way, but not necessarily to the point of severe injury.
Why “Rough Up” Fits
Treat violently: “Rough up” is a phrasal verb meaning to treat someone violently by hitting, kicking, or manhandling them, which matches the idea of treating someone violently very directly. Dictionaries gloss “rough (someone) up” as to beat someone up or hurt them physically, so it is a clean fit for a clue that defines the answer as “treat violently.”
A Bit of Background
“Rough up” is informal, but widely used in both speech and writing:
Meaning and usage:
- Major dictionaries agree that to rough someone up is “to hit and hurt them,” “to attack someone and hurt them by hitting or kicking,” or “to use physical violence against someone.”
- The phrase appears frequently in news reports, crime writing, film dialogue, and everyday talk when describing intimidation or assault.
For a quick crossword clue like “Treat violently (5,2)”:
Definition match: “Treat violently” and “rough up” are effectively dictionary-equivalent; one common definition is literally “to treat violently; beat up.”
Enumeration: The pattern (5,2) matches ROUGH (5) + UP (2) perfectly. Other violence-related phrasal verbs like “beat up” (4,2) or “do over” (2,4) do not fit the 5,2 letter count.
Idiomatic strength: “Rough up” is a standard, recognisable phrasal verb, making it ideal fodder for a clue that wants an informal but precise way to say “treat violently.”
Once solvers see that the clue is likely pointing to an informal phrasal verb and check the (5,2) enumeration, ROUGH UP becomes the natural, idiomatic answer that exactly captures the sense of violent treatment.
