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 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
The ball was coughed up by Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright, and the Patriots took over possession at the Dolphins’ 37-yard line.
—Doug Kyed, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
Lakers lost 128-106 to Pistons on LeBron’s 41st birthday as Detroit dominated the paint with 74 points while the Lakers coughed up 21 turnovers.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
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
The ball was coughed up by Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright, and the Patriots took over possession at the Dolphins’ 37-yard line.
—Doug Kyed, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
Lakers lost 128-106 to Pistons on LeBron’s 41st birthday as Detroit dominated the paint with 74 points while the Lakers coughed up 21 turnovers.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coughed up
Verb
-
McDuffie is highly unlikely to generate the same return that, say, cornerback Sauce Gardner did just three months ago — the Colts relinquished two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for Gardner.—
Sam McDowell
February 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
-
She was last photographed in September — a month before Andrew relinquished his titles — and hasn’t been seen publicly since.—
Vivian Kwarm,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the decades since, SUVs have rendered minivans all but obsolete and all but destroyed sedans, too, with cars as venerable as the Lexus LS heading for the exits while that marque’s SUV lineup seemingly never stops expanding.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Using tongs, hold the steak on its side in the center of the skillet and cook the fat cap, undisturbed, until crisp and some of the fat has rendered, 1–2 minutes.—
Eric Wareheim,
Saveur,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Here's what happens to the items that are surrendered at TSA.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The slain cop’s 34-year-old estranged husband, surrendered to police and was later charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Notably, while dispensaries are not allowed in El Cajon, residents can still get cannabis products delivered to their homes from storefronts in nearby cities.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani delivered an impassioned speech shedding light the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests that have led to thousands of deaths and mass arrests.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Two months later, FBI agents raided the South Florida estate and found more than 100 additional documents with classified markings that had not been turned over.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s Cabinet during his first term turned over consistently, starting with HHS Secretary Tom Price’s resignation just nine months in.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Campano family were Nicholas’ most colorful clients, and Owen turned in information about them that got many sent to prison, including Nicholas, who took the fall for them instead of incriminating them.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
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This is not the first time Dabouis has turned in questionable scores for Beaudry and Cizeron.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now they’ve simply been handed over to the public, along with enormous quantities of semi-redacted material spanning decades and provenances.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Yesterday, volunteers recovered a backpack that was handed over to authorities.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coughed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coughed%20up. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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