From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcough up phrasal verb1 PAY FOR informal to give someone money, information etc when you do not really want to Come on, cough up.cough something ↔ up Insurance companies had to cough up £10 million in storm damage claims.2 cough something ↔ up to push something out of your throat or lungs into your mouth You must go to the doctor if you’re coughing up blood. → cough→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
cough up• You have to cough up $2 just to get into the park.• You owe me twenty pounds. Come on, cough up!From Longman Business Dictionarycough something → up phrasal verb [intransitive, transitive] informal to pay money unwillinglyGrumman finally coughed up $40 million in settlement of the legal claims against it.We’ll get a new TV as soon as the insurance company coughs up. → cough→ See Verb table 