dredge up
Britishverb
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to bring to notice, esp with considerable effort and from an obscure, remote, or unlikely source
to dredge up worthless ideas
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to raise with or as if with a dredge
they dredged up the corpse from the lake
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During one particularly tough patch that summer, the media managed to dredge up every stupid thing I had ever said publicly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
This is a film that serves a purpose, and Jones’ amiable writing and Aramayo’s engaging performance dredge up just enough sentimentality while keeping the movie from seeming overly instructive.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Just five years ago, the same agency—then under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo—had denied the permit, citing the likelihood that it would dredge up toxic material.
From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025
Next I cycled through every squirrel-averse scent I could dredge up online.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2024
He would crack dumb jokes and tell stories and dredge up bits of trivia, anything to make her smile.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
