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
If the infection is not contained by the body’s immune response, the bacteria destroys lung tissue which can trigger chest pain and coughing up of mucus or blood.
—
Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The recent hospitalization comes nearly a year after he was hospitalized for coughing up blood and coming down with a fever in February 2025, TMZ previously reported.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Previous health concerns In March, Aaron was rushed to the hospital in California after coughing up blood, but a cause of the symptoms was never publicly revealed.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Herbert, who threw four interceptions in his last postseason appearance, fumbled five times after only coughing up the ball twice in his first 12 games this season.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
In a chaotic match when both sides kept coughing up possession, especially early in the second half, Miley was cool-headed and dependable on the ball.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Newborns and frail older people often have a hard time coughing up the mucus, Hopkins says.
—Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
Chase reeled in five catches for 50 yards, coughing up a fumble that was one of Cincinnati's five total turnovers.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
Not everyone infected with TB gets symptoms, but those with active cases can suffer from a persistent cough, including coughing up blood or sputum, chest pain, fever, and fatigue.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The recent hospitalization comes nearly a year after he was hospitalized for coughing up blood and coming down with a fever in February 2025, TMZ previously reported.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Previous health concerns In March, Aaron was rushed to the hospital in California after coughing up blood, but a cause of the symptoms was never publicly revealed.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Herbert, who threw four interceptions in his last postseason appearance, fumbled five times after only coughing up the ball twice in his first 12 games this season.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
In a chaotic match when both sides kept coughing up possession, especially early in the second half, Miley was cool-headed and dependable on the ball.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Newborns and frail older people often have a hard time coughing up the mucus, Hopkins says.
—Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
Chase reeled in five catches for 50 yards, coughing up a fumble that was one of Cincinnati's five total turnovers.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
Not everyone infected with TB gets symptoms, but those with active cases can suffer from a persistent cough, including coughing up blood or sputum, chest pain, fever, and fatigue.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coughing up
Verb
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The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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After rendering a contemporary Native American community in specific, surreal, often hilarious detail in Reservation Dogs, Sterlin Harjo turned to noir with The Lowdown.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This method also had the practical downside of rendering my colander unusable for straining the rigatoni for my Wednesday-night pasta alla vodka.—
Alma Avalle,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Lions, who held the fifth pick of the second round, merely wanted his opinion before turning in the card.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The last time Ohtani took the mound was in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, turning in a sterling six innings, allowing two hits and striking out 10 batters.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What is clear is that Oklahoma has become a central player in a national strategy that treats detention not as a means of ensuring public safety, but as an end in itself, a system designed to pressure immigrants into giving up their legal claims and leaving the country voluntarily.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Feb. 2026
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And as the number of pets goes up, many people wind up giving up their animal, overcrowding shelters.—
Margret Grebowicz,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite surrendering a two-goal lead in the third period, the Panthers got the edge in the shootout with a winning goal from Brad Marchand.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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Meekly surrendering the Carabao Cup over two legs against Manchester City 11 months later underlines the still-pending nature of their transformation into an elite outfit.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coto entered contracts with companies run by himself and his associates before turning over control of the building over to the condo association, according to the suit.—
Catherine Odom
February 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Welke denied the defense motion since prosecutors agreed to arrange turning over the evidence but will seek a status update on March 24.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since Obama, the first president to use an official account on the social media site then called Twitter, left office in January 2017, handing over online accounts has been part of the transition process between administrations.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2026
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Because of this, handing over $35 million (€30 million) to Manchester United for Rashford might be the safest bet after all.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, Musk is known for delivering bold statements and shifting timelines.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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Nationwide, with more than 3,000 robots delivering food between the two leading companies, the robots are gaining traction, visibility and some notoriety.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coughing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coughing%20up. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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