(idiomatic) To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.
That team had the game won, but they coughed it up in the end.
No comments yet — say something.
(transitive) To expel from the lungs, throat, stomach, etc. by coughing.
He was coughing up blood.
No comments yet — say something.
(idiomatic, transitive, informal) To reluctantly or unwillingly give.
He was coughing up a lung.
No comments yet — say something.
Add your own interpretation of "cough up".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.