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
Minnesota didn’t cower when backed into a corner Wednesday after coughing up an 11 point lead with fewer than four minutes to play in the final frame.
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
An embarrassed Bush was forced to cough up a $130 fine for killing the wrong bird.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Then, Nolan’s parents put his fighting skills to the test with a brutal beatdown, but things quickly take a turn as Viltrumites around the planet start coughing up blood.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
That game featured the Stars coughing up a late lead thanks to a Valeri Nichuskin goal with 14 seconds left in regulation.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough up
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
An embarrassed Bush was forced to cough up a $130 fine for killing the wrong bird.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Then, Nolan’s parents put his fighting skills to the test with a brutal beatdown, but things quickly take a turn as Viltrumites around the planet start coughing up blood.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
That game featured the Stars coughing up a late lead thanks to a Valeri Nichuskin goal with 14 seconds left in regulation.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cough up
Verb
-
If the pair are Shea’s biological parents, Score and Mills would like to learn more about them — but not necessarily relinquish custody of Shea, Hatfield said.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In their eyes, the global economy is to blame for their unsatisfactory job prospects, feminism is to blame for their failures with women, minority rights are forcing them to relinquish their privilege as straight men, and so on.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gulf nations are highly reliant on desalination for fresh water, and damage to the region’s hundreds of plants could render its major cities unlivable, The Associated Press reported; attacks by any side could constitute war crimes.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The fresh precipitation had rendered the thin roads above Lake Tahoe almost indistinguishable from the frosted forests around them.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many of those animals are surrendered when their owners can no longer properly care for them, an issue that Alessandro Catenazzi, associate professor of biological science at Florida International University, stressed.—
Julian Camejo,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Lukáš Dostál surrendered six goals on 29 shots, with culpability to spread around between him and his defense.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The other standout was the breakfast basket that gets delivered like clockwork to your room each morning, including fresh pastries, muesli, fruit, yogurt, eggs, coffee, and juice.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Jaime, who had on a yellow reflective vest and a helmet, held up his phone near his supervisor’s and, courtesy of the FarEye app, instantly received the coördinates for the packages—a total of forty-five—he’d be delivering.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cough%20up. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
