water under bridge
No longer matters
Water under the bridge refers to past events that are no longer worth worrying about or discussing.
The image is of water that has already flowed beneath a bridge and moved on downstream—gone, irretrievable, and therefore not worth dwelling on.
We had our disagreements, but that's all water under the bridge now.
The phrase usually signals forgiveness or a willingness to move past old conflicts.
- pastTime already gone
- forgivenGranted mercy for wrongdoing
- forgive and forgetAbsolve and dismiss resentment
- no hard feelingsAbsence of lingering resentment
- bygonesFormer offenses dismissed
what's done is done · river · flowing · let go · let it go · moved on · move forward · turning the page · history · forgotten · reconciliation · bury the hatchet · current · spilled milk · ancient history · old news · done · over
- apologiessorry, forgive me, my mistake, mea culpa, sincere apology
- compromisecompromise, middle ground, meet halfway, give and take, give-and-take
- dismissingbrush aside, brush off, wave off, shrug off, blow off
- fresh startfresh start, new beginning, clean slate, starting over, do-over
- harmony phrasesin sync, in tune, on the same page, see eye to eye, hand in hand
- letting goletting go, forgive, giving up, let go, relinquishing
water under bridgeholding a grudge
unfinished business · open wound · bone to pick · axe to grind · score to settle
water under bridgegrudge
Persistent resentment toward someone
holding a grudge · score to settle · ax to grind · chip on shoulder · bad blood
water, waters, watered, watering, watery, wateriness, under, bridge, bridges