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
Boston could be caught up chasing Alex Bregman, but there's a chance that the front office coughs up the money to sign both Bregman and Alonso.
—
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
The 49ers have recovered six fumbles this season (one less than the Rams), and their offense has coughed up the ball just four times, including a Mac Jones fumble last game on a sack.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
An error in judgment toward the end of a winnable game that Denver collectively coughed up?
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Wide receiver Josh Downs coughed up the first on a muffed punt in the first quarter.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough up
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Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
The 49ers have recovered six fumbles this season (one less than the Rams), and their offense has coughed up the ball just four times, including a Mac Jones fumble last game on a sack.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
An error in judgment toward the end of a winnable game that Denver collectively coughed up?
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Wide receiver Josh Downs coughed up the first on a muffed punt in the first quarter.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 3 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 11 Nov. 2025.
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