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 Bruins coughed up a 2-0 first period lead to an also-ran New Jersey Devils and lost 4-3 in overtime.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Other local politicians have also coughed up remarkably few text messages in response to public records requests.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
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.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 11 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
See All Example Sentences for cough up
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Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Other local politicians have also coughed up remarkably few text messages in response to public records requests.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
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.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 11 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
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 19 Mar. 2026.
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