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

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.
The Thunder have also coughed up at least 14 turnovers in four of the last five games in this series. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025 With the chance to win its maiden championship, Oklahoma City coughed up 21 turnovers and committed 20 fouls. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 22 June 2025 Bloomberg | Getty Images As economic conditions turn, however, consumers may be less inclined to cough up $100 for a good bottle, instead downtrading or opting for lower-cost ready-to-drink (RTD) alternatives. Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 7 June 2025 Benfica seems to be reluctant to give in and with time not on their side, Real Madrid could cough up the full amount to bring in competition for Ferland Mendy and Fran García at left-back. Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 26 May 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 1 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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