cough up

as in to relinquish
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cough up Durán has two years of team control remaining after this season, so the Phillies would have to cough up a considerable amount as a result. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025 Idaho taxpayers are going to have to cough up more money to settle the score between a now-defunct Boise coffee shop and the state’s biggest university. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 24 Mar. 2025 Like Truman’s loyalty program, McCarthy’s hearings operated on the assumption that fear would produce compliance and compliance would produce new allegations, as witness after witness coughed up information on friends and allies. Beverly Gage, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Given that Bednar would not be a rental, the Cubs would have to cough up more than just the bare minimum. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cough up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cough up
Verb
  • Last year, Sabalenka relinquished the Madrid Open title to Iga Świątek in the best WTA Tour match of the season.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • In the past month, many of these universities have been ordered to relinquish their academic independence, stripped of federal funds, had their students seized on the streets, and watched as faculty have begun an exodus to foreign academic institutions beyond the reach of the U.S. government.
    Drew Bernstein, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As Google points out, these products have had a long life, and they're not being rendered totally inoperable.
    Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The supreme court could render a decision on whether Bar remains in office, and for how long, based on technical issues.
    Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • While it’s been relatively rare for charter schools in Fort Worth to surrender their charters, Rocketship Texas’ closure comes about a year after the closure of another local campus, for similar reasons.
    Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Several hours later, around 4:30 p.m., the suspect in the killing, 47-year-old Terrell Gibbs, contacted police and agreed to surrender, Sprecco said.
    Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Four days after the hearing, Nina and Harriet went to the gravesite to deliver the news.
    Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley, CBS News, 4 May 2025
  • But Isaac only has one other big scene after the opening credits, an extremely trope-y case of a villain (or, at least, an antagonist) delivering an autobiographical monologue while preparing to torture someone.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cough%20up. Accessed 10 May. 2025.

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