as in relinquishing
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 coughing 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
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
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
During Wings’ lifetime, Band on the Run was universally regarded as their masterpiece, while Ram was considered on the aesthetic level of Martha coughing up a hairball.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
That same year, the ultimate outlier came with the Cleveland Browns coughing up a fortune (including three first-rounders among seven picks) for Deshaun Watson’s exit from Houston.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 26 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
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
During Wings’ lifetime, Band on the Run was universally regarded as their masterpiece, while Ram was considered on the aesthetic level of Martha coughing up a hairball.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
That same year, the ultimate outlier came with the Cleveland Browns coughing up a fortune (including three first-rounders among seven picks) for Deshaun Watson’s exit from Houston.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coughing up
Verb
-
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.—
David Rising,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
With concerns growing about a global energy crisis, an Iranian official said Tehran had no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This demo showed off a graphics-rendering task (an aquarium full of fish, whose frame rates and swimming action were directly affected by the availability of system resources).—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The game was about rendering a person with a limited palette of supplies.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Before her Saturn return, she’s already collaborated with all of those icons, turning in newly definitive performances in their work.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Even schoolchildren were denouncing their teachers for saying the wrong thing, or turning in other kids.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Alcantara threw seven strong innings, giving up just one unearned run while striking out five on just 73 pitches.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
After being turned back earlier this month in their latest attempt to overturn California’s rooftop solar rules, three environmental groups aren’t giving up.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tyler Unter threw five scoreless innings before surrendering a pair of runs in the sixth for Santa Margarita.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Murakami’s two walks came against Jacob Misiorowski, who struck out 11 while surrendering one run — a leadoff home run by Chase Meidroth — on two hits in five innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The complex project rolled on, the state turning over $61 million of the subsidy in May 2025 to cover dozens of pending property sales and demolitions.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Those leases were expiring, and the families could not afford to renew them, so Villanueva helped exhume the bodies, turning over the bones to a forensic pathologist who examined the remains and kept records for future use.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the meantime, Jones is delivering food to officers who need it and trying to get employees who quit to return, despite the political showdowns that have led to government shutdowns.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The sci-fi pic, starring Ryan Gosling as a school teacher who wakes aboard a spacecraft with amnesia, has been a winner for Amazon MGM Studios, delivering some of the best numbers for a non-franchise movie in some time.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coughing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coughing%20up. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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