as in relinquished
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 coughed up
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
The Wolverines coughed up 14 total turnovers, which led to 14 points for the Gophers, and that helped Minnesota keep it closer.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
The last time these teams met, the Miami Heat coughed up a 19-point lead in a loss to the Boston Celtics.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Even taking into account the buy-out clauses Abramovich paid Porto to hire Villas-Boas and Clearlake and its partners coughed up for Brighton’s Graham Potter, coaches do not cost anywhere near as much as players.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The true nature of Colby’s identity and place in the community, however, is coughed up late into the film via a predictable twist that generates broad laughs but feels below a filmmaker of Decker’s intelligence.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
That is almost double what spectators would have coughed up for entry into last year’s matchup, according to ticket-sales analyst Victory Resale.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2026
Brooklyn struggled to generate anything clean, coughed up seven turnovers that led to 14 Clippers points, and shot just 37% from the field and 25% from 3-point range in the first half.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
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
The Wolverines coughed up 14 total turnovers, which led to 14 points for the Gophers, and that helped Minnesota keep it closer.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
The last time these teams met, the Miami Heat coughed up a 19-point lead in a loss to the Boston Celtics.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Even taking into account the buy-out clauses Abramovich paid Porto to hire Villas-Boas and Clearlake and its partners coughed up for Brighton’s Graham Potter, coaches do not cost anywhere near as much as players.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The true nature of Colby’s identity and place in the community, however, is coughed up late into the film via a predictable twist that generates broad laughs but feels below a filmmaker of Decker’s intelligence.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
That is almost double what spectators would have coughed up for entry into last year’s matchup, according to ticket-sales analyst Victory Resale.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2026
Brooklyn struggled to generate anything clean, coughed up seven turnovers that led to 14 Clippers points, and shot just 37% from the field and 25% from 3-point range in the first half.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coughed up
Verb
-
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
-
Two were relinquished in the 1990s.—
Coalter G Lathrop,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officers on scene rendered medical aid.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Iranian regime is being rendered impotent.—
,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both officers surrendered, were booked and later released, police said.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Cabrera surrendered one run in 3 2/3 innings Thursday against the Seattle Mariners while striking out three and, perhaps most importantly, not walking a batter.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the relentless words of wisdom, and the shouting-to-the-rafters way they’re delivered, soon become tiresome.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
-
This week, as part of an ongoing international convoy to help Cuba, European activists delivered more than four tons of medical supplies to the island.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The tide has turned over the past two years.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Combined with 66 high school recruits signed during the same period, the Aggies have essentially turned over the roster while winning 19 of 26 games.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Goalkeeper Javier Zarate turned in another impressive performance.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This bill includes a grandfather clause for those whose historic registration was turned in as a result of last year’s change.—
Steve Johnson,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
It was then handed over to a property manager and leased as a residence for $6,000 a month, well beyond the reach of most locals.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The demilitarization proposal was handed over to Hamas last week in Cairo, an additional official in the region said.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coughed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coughed%20up. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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