as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
finally got my brother to cough up the dough he owed me
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Recent Examples of cough up
Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes coughed up an ACC title and Playoff bid by blowing a 21-0 lead to Syracuse in the regular-season finale last season.
—
David Ubben, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
After Henry coughed up the ball, the Bills capitalized, with Allen scoring on a 1-yard run.
—Associated Press, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Even that wasn’t enough when Mims coughed up the fourth-quarter punt.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
Then, cornerback Kenny Moore II got a strip sack that saw Tagovailoa once again cough up the ball — this time to former Dolphin Xavien Howard.
—Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough up
David Ubben, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
After Henry coughed up the ball, the Bills capitalized, with Allen scoring on a 1-yard run.
—Associated Press, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Even that wasn’t enough when Mims coughed up the fourth-quarter punt.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
Then, cornerback Kenny Moore II got a strip sack that saw Tagovailoa once again cough up the ball — this time to former Dolphin Xavien Howard.
—Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cough up
Verb
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In the latest demands of Intel, the government willingly relinquished the ability to exert control, despite being the largest holder of Intel’s shares.—
Andrew King,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
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At first glance, Beijing’s willingness to play ball on TikTok looks like a sharp reversal from its years of resistance to relinquishing control over the viral video app – the first global social media hit to come out of China.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In early January 2025, the Bureau of Land Management website explained the communities are in an area that climate change is rendering uninhabitable, mentioning climate eight times.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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Miu Miu leaned into tradition, rendering argyle in a restrained palette that nodded to its country club roots.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Cowboys’ defense may have reached its lowest point last week against the Bears, surrendering 31 points, four touchdown passes and a 60 percent success rate on third downs.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
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It’s been a rough couple of years and an uneven few weeks for the Broncos’ secondary, which often finds itself on the receiving end of criticism for surrendering big plays and big passing yards.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But at the end of each day, a mysterious boy (Eric Williams) delivers the message that Godot isn’t coming after all and will instead arrive tomorrow.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
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The 25-year-old attorney wins the $750,000 grand prize after delivering her emphatic closing argument.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cough%20up. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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