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.
Villa will be glad to have covered an important position without coughing up too much money, though, especially in the January transfer window. Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025 In a wildly entertaining and raucous game, the Bruins had their most emotional win of the season in their grasp only to cough up a two-goal lead late in the final 3:13 of regulation with the goalie pulled and lose in a shootoout, 6-5. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2025 In a wildly entertaining and raucous game, the Bruins had their most emotional win of the season in their grasp only to cough up a two-goal lead late in the final 3:13 of regulation and lose in a shootoout. Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2025 Even when Rode joined the force in the year 2000, masks weren't necessarily the norm, and firefighters would cough up black phlegm in the days after a fire. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near cough up

Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough%20up. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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