cough up

verb

coughed up; coughing up; coughs up
Synonyms of cough upnext

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 of cough up

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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.
But on Tuesday, left-hander Eric Lauer returned to the rotation and coughed up seven runs in three innings. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 The availability of my driver’s license to anyone willing to cough up a fee isn’t exactly a comforting thought. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 Oviedo faked the punt and picked up a first down in Lake Mary territory but the ball was coughed up and the Rams came up with the recovery. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 The Cubs bullpen surrendered eight runs — with all three relievers coughing up at least one and Trent Thornton’s five-run sixth the difference in the loss. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for cough up

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Browse Nearby Words

cough syrup
cough up
coughweed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough%20up. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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