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

In October, Ecclestone was forced to cough up £652 million ($793 million) after admitting to defrauding the U.K.’s HMRC, ending a decades-long dispute with the tax body. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 16 May 2024

The return of rainfall has been bad news for politicians who hoped to panic taxpayers and ratepayers into meekly coughing up more money to pay for infrastructure boondoggles that enrich their donors and supporters. —Susan Shelley, Orange County Register, 16 May 2024

Related Articles Kurtenbach: Why the SF Giants’ brutal string of injuries might be exactly what the organization needed Twice, though, the Giants’ bullpen coughed up the lead before Rogers ultimately blew the game for good. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024

Meanwhile, those with TB disease fall sick often have symptoms including chest pain, coughing up blood, fatigue, weakness, fever, chills, sweating, lack of appetite and weight loss, the CDC said. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 8 May 2024

After several hours, Dorian naturally starts coughing up blood, and Adams has to yell for Richard (James Pickens Jr.) to come help. —Lincee Ray, EW.com, 3 May 2024

Tyronn Lue eased his way out of the quiet Clippers’ locker room, made a right turn down an equally quiet hallway at Crypto.com Arena and made another right into the media room to answer questions about how his team coughed up a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Lakers. —Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024

Hours before a walkout, administrators at the Pleasanton Unified School District coughed up a 10% pay hike earlier this month to keep teachers from hitting the picket line. —Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024

Here, renters shelled out $1,530 a month on rent while buyers coughed up $3,695 to own a home. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1