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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

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.
Mitchell said of Wright, who coughed up a fumble 66 seconds into the second half. Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025 On a checkdown pass from Prescott on third-and-21, Ferguson tried to play hero ball a bit too much and coughed up the football. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025 Symptoms include chest pains, a cough that last three weeks or longer, or coughing up blood. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 Dec. 2025 Still, the Robbins regime ultimately caved to Cruise’s demands, coughing up more dough. Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 4 Dec. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough%20up. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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