dredging up
Retrieving from depths
Dredging up means bringing something back from obscurity or the past, often something better left forgotten.
The image comes from dredging—scraping the bottom of a body of water to retrieve what's submerged.
Why are you dredging up that old argument?
The documentary dredged up painful memories.
The phrase usually carries a negative connotation, suggesting the retrieved material is unpleasant or unwelcome.
- excavateRemove earth systematically
- recoverRegain health or possession
- resurfaceAppear again after absence
- unearthExcavate or reveal hidden
- dragging upResurrecting past matters
reveal · murky waters · flashback · extract · rake up · retrieve · guilt · subconscious · disinter · suppressed · remembering · rumination · shame · introspection · sediment · silt · digging up · repression
dredging upburying
Covering with earth
suppressing · letting sleeping dogs lie · forgetting · repressing · putting to rest
dredging upleaving alone
Ceasing to disturb
letting be · abandoning · dropping · releasing · relinquishing
dredging upburying
Covering with earth
suppressing · concealing · covering up · hiding · hushing up