cough up
verb
coughed up; coughing up; coughs up
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
Right back Ian Pilcher, who a year ago was playing college soccer for the Charlotte 49ers, coughed up the ball in his own third.
—
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The right-hander coughed up 10 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings against the Dodgers, who eventually won that World Series.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
No, there was no big lead coughed up in Oklahoma City like the ones Minnesota blew in Phoenix and Sacramento.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Nov. 2025
The Raiders have lost four games in a row, while the Browns have coughed up three consecutive games.
—Data Skrive, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough up
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.
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The right-hander coughed up 10 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings against the Dodgers, who eventually won that World Series.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
No, there was no big lead coughed up in Oklahoma City like the ones Minnesota blew in Phoenix and Sacramento.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Nov. 2025
The Raiders have lost four games in a row, while the Browns have coughed up three consecutive games.
—Data Skrive, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough up
Cite this Entry
“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough%20up. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share