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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cough up
Verb
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The first goal came when goalkeeper John Pulskamp relinquished the ball to opposing striker Wessam Abou Ali in the box.—
PJ Green
March 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
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Two were relinquished in the 1990s.—
Coalter G Lathrop,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Investigators rendered first aid at the scene, and Parker was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Madden said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
17 Mar. 2026
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That shot rendering the Cherry Blossom tree using the pink clouds is stunning.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An enemy fighter is more likely to surrender to an American squad or platoon, knowing the Americans follow the rules.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
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Defensive miscues have allowed the Lions to surrender 11 goals in the opening three matches.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Sunday, tens of thousands of Orbán supporters marched across a bridge over the Danube and toward Hungary's parliament, where the prime minister delivered a speech to the crowd which filled a sprawling square.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
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Streisand, who played the neurotic, political firebrand Katie Morosky opposite Redford's WASPy Hubbell Gardiner in the 1973 romantic drama, performed a song and delivered a speech honoring him during the Oscars' In Memoriam segment.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cough%20up. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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