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
The two-time champion was on the bathroom floor coughing up blood and experiencing shortness of breath, according to an unidentified man on the phone.
—
Zach Dean, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
According to a 911 call obtained by CNN on Friday, Busch required medical attention on Wednesday after coughing up some blood and experiencing shortness of breath while getting ready for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
—Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
Busch collapsed Wednesday while testing in a Chevrolet simulator, prompting a 911 call describing shortness of breath, high fever and coughing up blood.
—Steve Reed, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
The moment is reminiscent of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) coughing up that leftover Demogorgon tentacle after he’s been rescued at the end of Stranger Things Season 1.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 May 2026
But a year after coughing up a 14-point lead in the final minutes of regulation and losing to Indiana in OT in Game 1 of the conference finals on their home court, the Knicks found their offense just in time.
—CBS News, 19 May 2026
Ritchie has allowed at least one home run in three of four starts, coughing up two in one of his road starts and one in the other road start.
—Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Symptoms of a blood clot include swelling, shortness of breath, coughing up blood and varicose vein changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
The streamer is coughing up some $150 million over the next three years for the rights to carry a total of nine sessions of baseball, a bare bones roster that includes the annual opener, the Field of Dream games formerly hosted by Fox and the Home Run Derby.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Zach Dean, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
According to a 911 call obtained by CNN on Friday, Busch required medical attention on Wednesday after coughing up some blood and experiencing shortness of breath while getting ready for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
—Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
Busch collapsed Wednesday while testing in a Chevrolet simulator, prompting a 911 call describing shortness of breath, high fever and coughing up blood.
—Steve Reed, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
The moment is reminiscent of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) coughing up that leftover Demogorgon tentacle after he’s been rescued at the end of Stranger Things Season 1.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 May 2026
But a year after coughing up a 14-point lead in the final minutes of regulation and losing to Indiana in OT in Game 1 of the conference finals on their home court, the Knicks found their offense just in time.
—CBS News, 19 May 2026
Ritchie has allowed at least one home run in three of four starts, coughing up two in one of his road starts and one in the other road start.
—Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Symptoms of a blood clot include swelling, shortness of breath, coughing up blood and varicose vein changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
The streamer is coughing up some $150 million over the next three years for the rights to carry a total of nine sessions of baseball, a bare bones roster that includes the annual opener, the Field of Dream games formerly hosted by Fox and the Home Run Derby.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coughing up
Verb
-
Trump has said numerous times that any final resolution would have to involve Iran relinquishing its nuclear program, either by means of a diplomatic agreement or by force.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
-
And at the counter, where chef and guest are separated by little more than a stretch of the hand, everything rests on precision, presence and the quiet thrill of relinquishing control to the chef’s capable hands.—
Rachel Ingram,
Robb Report,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Already, the excess heat in the tank has caused the MMA to harden and clog the failing tank’s valves, rendering it impossible for crews to drain the dangerous chemical or add stabilizing agents, Freeman said.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
-
Officers arrived and began rendering aid to the driver of a black Toyota Corolla, which sustained significant damage in the crash, according to police.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The No Country For Old Men Oscar winner, who earlier spoke about genocide, repression and the political tide turning in Hollywood, then went more macro.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
-
Luke Cook and Leighton Meester are turning in their badges at the end of the first and only season of The CW’s Good Cop/Bad Cop.—
Alyssa Modos,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Soto had the only two hits of the night for the Mets against Peréz (3-6), who retired eight straight after giving up the home run.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
Dye returns as the supe Bombsight, who appeared in Season 5 and briefly battled Soldier Boy before giving up his super strength and immortality caused by the V1 serum.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The journalist turns his attention to Oda Sotatsu, a man who has admitted to a string of disappearances but refuses to speak another word after surrendering to police.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Gable won two NCAA titles at Iowa State University and took gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics, without surrendering a single point across six matches.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The 30 year old allegedly went through the facility's south TSA security checkpoint without turning over any of his baggage, according to the allegations read by presiding judge Latrevia Kates-Johnson during Oloruntoba's bond hearing on Tuesday.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
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What was His message in turning over the tables, besides showing His rudeness?—
John Kenney,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Coben’s leadership was always temporary, handing over the reins to Gaudette, a corporate president who’s been with NRG and predecessor companies for 25 years.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
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Such was the level of this achievement that Orange Tsai from the DEVCORE Research Team was rewarded with a $200,000 bounty payment in return for immediately handing over all the technical details to the event organizers.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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In delivering this critique against the state of the country, Lear spared few targets, and even soap operas were fair game.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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State Judge Gregory Carro’s ruling effectively rejected the defense team’s argument that those items were seized illegally, delivering a partial victory to prosecutors.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coughing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coughing%20up. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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