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
Facing a structural deficit, the next governor will have to cut programs and raise taxes, not just one or the other, with corporations and California’s richest residents being forced to cough up more.
—
Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Typically, Gunnar had to keep his time on the ice short due to his difficulty breathing, often coughing up mucus when returning from his shift.
—Ian Thomas, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
On the flipside, Wisconsin escaped the first half without coughing up the ball once and finished the game with three turnovers, which the Terps converted to only three points.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Paramount’s winning offer was $31 (plus coughing up a bunch of billion-dollar incentives).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough up
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Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Typically, Gunnar had to keep his time on the ice short due to his difficulty breathing, often coughing up mucus when returning from his shift.
—Ian Thomas, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
On the flipside, Wisconsin escaped the first half without coughing up the ball once and finished the game with three turnovers, which the Terps converted to only three points.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Paramount’s winning offer was $31 (plus coughing up a bunch of billion-dollar incentives).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 2026.
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