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
-
China, historically the largest driver of the country’s overall trade deficit in goods, has relinquished its status in that regard.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Mar. 2026
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And, in fact, a lot of that control is relinquished through their third-party Wi-Fi suppliers.—
Emily Cappiello,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thanks to a particle accelerator and a small cadre of dedicated scientists, the reference models are already in hand—rendered not in animation software but in micrometer-perfect anatomical form.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Whether rendered in a tailored dress or an evening gown, the neckline adds dimension to her otherwise minimalist wardrobe.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While few details of the circumstances in this case have been made public, the animal control agency said the individual involved in the investigation has voluntarily surrendered the animals and the investigation is continuing.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, this sweet 3-year-old Labrador-mix is one of many pets who are sadly surrendered to valley shelters due to community-wide struggles — including housing instability.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In experiments, heaters made from these fibers delivered significantly higher heating power per unit mass than traditional metal-alloy elements when exposed to flowing gases.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Ellis was charged with a major strategic review of the academy, which was delivered in autumn 2025.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After leaving the sorority house as upperclassmen, Couch and Mogen lived together at an off-campus home on King Road before Couch graduated early and turned over her lease to Kernodle, who moved in to take her place.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
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The investigation was supposedly initiated by the Orlando Police Department and later turned over to state authorities.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On the mound, Texas turned in its worst performance of the season.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The senior guard turned in a game-high 19 points along with nine rebounds, and senior Brady Kingsley chipped in 13 points while sophomore Marek Noel had 12.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The only thing keeping Mel’s head from exploding is probably the fact that Becca’s case gets handed over to Langdon.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Detectives say the suspect demanded money from the 19-year-old sales clerk, who ultimately handed over cash.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coughed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coughed%20up. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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