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
The last time these teams met, the Miami Heat coughed up a 19-point lead in a loss to the Boston Celtics.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
If the infection is not contained by the body’s immune response, the bacteria destroys lung tissue which can trigger chest pain and coughing up of mucus or blood.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The recent hospitalization comes nearly a year after he was hospitalized for coughing up blood and coming down with a fever in February 2025, TMZ previously reported.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
So much of writing is battling your own mind to cough up the clearest idea or best word.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough up
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Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
If the infection is not contained by the body’s immune response, the bacteria destroys lung tissue which can trigger chest pain and coughing up of mucus or blood.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The recent hospitalization comes nearly a year after he was hospitalized for coughing up blood and coming down with a fever in February 2025, TMZ previously reported.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
So much of writing is battling your own mind to cough up the clearest idea or best word.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
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 12 Feb. 2026.
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