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.
Geeks with passwords controlled $5T in disbursements and would not cough up access for the new administration. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025 The symptoms of an active TB may include a persistent cough that lasts for more than three weeks, coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain when breathing or coughing, and fatigue.2 TB germs can take a long time to die. Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 31 Jan. 2025 Marylanders are coughing up $4,060, and Californians $2,575. Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025 Violators now have to cough up $77.50 — $65 for the ticket and $12.50 in administrative fees. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 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 26 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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