rake up

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to revive, discover, or bring to light (something forgotten)

   to rake up an old quarrel

---

rake up Idioms  

1. Revive, bring to light, especially something unpleasant, as in She was raking up old gossip. [Late 1500s]

---

Example Sentences

While eager to imbue him with reverential status, the Party is simultaneously wary that almost any discussion of Mao's legacy could rake up uncomfortable memories.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The giant planets brawl among themselves, too, competing to rake up excess material and grow more giant still, sometimes ejecting the unlucky losers from the system in a “last planets standing” melee.

From Scientific American • Jun. 19, 2023

As we rake up leaves and pods from our neighbor’s tree every fall, we remind ourselves what a gift the shade was all summer.

From Washington Post • Nov. 28, 2022

At this time, the recommended treatment is to pick off the affected buds and rake up any diseased bud debris from under the plants to prevent diseased tissue from spreading spores to uninfected buds.

From Seattle Times • May 19, 2016

“Well, b’lieve Ah’ll rake up de front yard. De mens is got cane chewin’s and peanut hulls all over de place. Don’t want de doctah tuh come back heah and find it still de same.”

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston