cough up

British  

verb

1. informal to surrender (money, information, etc), esp reluctantly

2. (tr) to bring into the mouth or eject (phlegm, food, etc) by coughing

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cough up Idioms  

1. Hand over or relinquish, especially money; pay up. For example, It's time the delinquent members coughed up their dues . [ Slang ; late 1800s]

2. Confess or divulge, as in Pretty soon she'd cough up the whole story about last night . This idiom transfers the act of vomiting to telling the entire truth. [ Slang ; late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Battered, bruised and well beaten, Smith had coughed up a horrendous blooper for Sale's sixth try, failing to gather a routine backfield ball to allow a chasing Raffi Quirke to dot down.

From BBC

Given some of the goals Rangers have coughed up under Rohl and his predecessor Russell Martin this season, that is quite the statement.

From BBC

"I will cough up whatever I need to," says Prof Smith.

From BBC

The Bruins coughed up two fumbles in the first half and would have lost a third had the Huskies not been called for defensive holding on the play, nullifying the turnover.

From Los Angeles Times

With a 4-2 victory that saw it twice cough up the lead, the team booked its place in next summer’s World Cup in North America.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• allocate
• concentrate
• consume
• contribute
• donate
• drop
• employ
• expend
• give
• invest
• put in
• settle
• use
• waste