cough up

verb

coughed up; coughing up; coughs up

transitive verb

1
: hand over, deliver
cough up the money
2
: to lose possession of (a ball or puck) during a game
the quarterback coughed up the ball

Examples of cough up in a Sentence

finally got my brother to cough up the dough he owed me
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Given that Bednar would not be a rental, the Cubs would have to cough up more than just the bare minimum. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 Right at that 10-minute mark, Sporting coughed up possession at midfield and St. Louis began streaming forward with four attackers on one. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2025 The Blue Jackets came unglued in the third period Saturday, coughing up three goals in a 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs before 19,179 in Scotiabank Arena. Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025 In the first, Boston was sloppy with the ball and soft on the glass, coughing up 20 turnovers while allowing 19 offensive rebounds (both season highs). Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cough up

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cough up was in 1890

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough%20up. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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