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

Synonyms

• cede
• deliver
• give up
• hand over
• lay down
• relinquish
• render
• surrender
• turn in
• turn over
• yield

Examples of cough up in a Sentence

finally got my brother to cough up the dough he owed me

Recent Examples on the Web

Her efforts seem futile at first, until the girl coughs up water. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024

Candidates attend community events, hold fundraisers, stand on street corners, knock on doors, and ask wealthy individuals and companies to cough up a bit more than a buck — just like an actual political campaign. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024

Dosunmu didn’t make the strongest case for himself, going 1-for-2 from 3-point range and coughing up three turnovers. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2024

Turnovers have been an issue for Greece however, who coughed up the ball nine times in the opening 20 minutes. —NBC News, 28 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1