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
On the Dolphins’ first drive, tight end Greg Dulcich coughed up the ball on third down that defensive end Myles Murphy eventually recovered.
—
Miami Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
New Yorkers cough up the most state and local taxes per capita of anyone in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
The cave floor was covered in layers of fossils — including sloths, birds, and reptiles — mostly derived from owl pellets (indigestible remains coughed up by owls).
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
The study authors believe a family of barn owls once lived in the cave and coughed up the bones of their prey, which eventually fossilized.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough up
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Miami Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
New Yorkers cough up the most state and local taxes per capita of anyone in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
The cave floor was covered in layers of fossils — including sloths, birds, and reptiles — mostly derived from owl pellets (indigestible remains coughed up by owls).
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
The study authors believe a family of barn owls once lived in the cave and coughed up the bones of their prey, which eventually fossilized.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 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 23 Dec. 2025.
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