cough up

verb

coughed up; coughing up; coughs up

transitive verb

1

: hand over, deliver

cough up the money

2

: to lose possession of (a ball or puck) during a game

the quarterback coughed up the ball

Synonyms

• cede
• deliver
• give up
• hand over
• lay down
• relinquish
• render
• surrender
• turn in
• turn over
• yield

Examples of cough up in a Sentence

finally got my brother to cough up the dough he owed me

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of digesting the fur and bones, barn owls cough up pellets, which scientists can dissect to learn more about food webs. —Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024

In a letter to the court filed late Tuesday, his lawyers say federal prosecutors should be forced to cough up the identities immediately so Combs can get to work on his defense ahead of his criminal trial now scheduled to begin May 5. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2024

Affluent families will cough up tuition to secure a school with paper and pencils, in-person discussions, and hard-copy books for their children. —Daniel Buck, National Review, 12 Oct. 2024

Holmes coughed up 4 runs in just 1/3 of an inning in a loss to Texas. —Chuck Murr, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1