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

The fear of coughing up more cash than the car is worth to swap out a broken pack lingers in the mind of any driver whose EV is no longer protected by its manufacturer’s battery warranty, which often lasts for eight years or 100,000 miles. —Alistair Charlton, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2024

Other signs include coughing up blood, dizziness, painful swollen red calf, and feeling faint. —Stephanie Brown, Parents, 23 July 2024

Reagan walked into the hospital just after the shooting, despite having just coughed up blood in the limousine ride there. —Nicole Narea, Vox, 14 July 2024

The artists call themselves The Social License Watchdogs and said the companies have 21 days to cough up the cash, and have the option of payment plan. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1