cough up

Definition of cough upnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cough up Weathers has coughed up multiple homers in five of his 13 starts this season, but big flies have been particularly problematic for him over his last three games. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026 Tony appealed to the state to force the county to cough up more money. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 The Knicks coughed up the ball 13 times, sometimes unforced. Fred Katz, New York Times, 10 June 2026 Miguel Rojas moved from second base to third then to the mound in the ninth inning and coughed up home runs to both Brett Sullivan and Kyle Karros. Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cough up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cough up
Verb
  • Originally foreseen as the second Air Jordan of Michael’s post-player era, the Air Jordan 16 was designed by Wilson Smith III after Tinker Hatfield relinquished the reins.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
  • In 2023, ten years after relinquishing the kneeling figures, the Met gave a further 14 items from its collection back to Cambodia.
    Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Issues like slow image rendering on mobile devices or videos failing to auto-crop correctly—such as losing the subject when switching between portrait and landscape views—are often perceived as minor.
    Tal Lev-Ami, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • Faux snakeskin takes the place of the woven Kevlar panel that usually defines the model, while the long mudguard beneath is rendered in black nubuck.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Will Klein surrendered a seventh-inning single to Jackson that sent two baserunners, including one inherited from Dodgers left-hander Jack Dreyer, across the plate.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • An armed suspect surrendered to the California Highway Patrol after an hours-long pursuit through Los Angeles County.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • To sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox, click here.
    Emily Carmela Nelson, Idaho Statesman, 22 June 2026
  • Daniel takes advantage of this momentary distraction to deliver a left hook, right punch to the gut, asking Lestat about his maker, Magnus (Damien Atkins).
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cough%20up. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster