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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Villa will be glad to have covered an important position without coughing up too much money, though, especially in the January transfer window. Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025 In a wildly entertaining and raucous game, the Bruins had their most emotional win of the season in their grasp only to cough up a two-goal lead late in the final 3:13 of regulation with the goalie pulled and lose in a shootoout, 6-5. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2025 In a wildly entertaining and raucous game, the Bruins had their most emotional win of the season in their grasp only to cough up a two-goal lead late in the final 3:13 of regulation and lose in a shootoout. Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2025 Even when Rode joined the force in the year 2000, masks weren't necessarily the norm, and firefighters would cough up black phlegm in the days after a fire. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for cough up 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cough up
Verb
  • Trump is especially bitter that President Carter, in 1977, entered into agreement with Panama to relinquish control of the canal by the year 1999.
    Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Ellis hired his previous CBS Records colleague Gregg Geller, who José promptly put in charge of the Elvis Presley catalog, moving it over from Nashville, where Joe Galante was only too happy to relinquish it after the sales spike from Presley’s death in 1977 had cooled off.
    Roy Trakin, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Nonetheless, an underperforming album or run of singles can render even seemingly infallible artists to the khia asylum – like, say, post-Radical Optimism Dua Lipa.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
  • In comparison, Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal, DirectX 12, and Vulkan, to assess gaming geometry and particle rendering speeds.
    Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • District Attorney Tony Clayton told The Associated Press that the mother surrendered to police on Friday.
    SARA CLINE AND GEOFF MULVIHILL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 1 Feb. 2025
  • The purge intensified Monday when, according to the New York Times, former IG office staffers were directed to surrender to their agencies work laptops, phones, parking decals, and ID cards.
    Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Monster Hunter World was a zenith for the franchise, delivering a superb and accessible action experience enjoyed by millions.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 11 Feb. 2025
  • If my Republican colleagues expect to actually deliver President Trump's Golden Era agenda for the American people, this budget resolution is the illuminated path.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near cough up

Cite this Entry

“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cough%20up. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!