cough up
verb
coughed up; coughing up; coughs up
2
: to lose possession of (a ball or puck) during a game
the quarterback coughed up the ball
Examples of cough up in a Sentence
finally got my brother to cough up the dough he owed me
Recent Examples on the Web
Both Ju-ran and Un-jeong cough up blood during the final fight, implying that their days may be numbered.
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Kayti Burt, Time, 15 May 2026
After blowing Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on Mother’s Day at Chicago Stadium, the Bulls coughed up an 11-point halftime lead to the Golden State Warriors and were outscored 24-14 in the fourth quarter to lose Game 7 on the road 83-79.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The Jays were on the brink of a fourth straight loss, having coughed up two runs in the top of the 10th.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Defenseman Lane Hutson fell and coughed up the puck in a turnover that led to Buffalo’s opening goal.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
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Kayti Burt, Time, 15 May 2026
After blowing Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on Mother’s Day at Chicago Stadium, the Bulls coughed up an 11-point halftime lead to the Golden State Warriors and were outscored 24-14 in the fourth quarter to lose Game 7 on the road 83-79.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The Jays were on the brink of a fourth straight loss, having coughed up two runs in the top of the 10th.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Defenseman Lane Hutson fell and coughed up the puck in a turnover that led to Buffalo’s opening goal.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough up
Cite this Entry
“Cough up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough%20up. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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