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Phrase(s): rake something up
1. Lit. to gather and clean up something with a rake. • Would you please rake these leaves up before it rains? • Please rake up the leaves. 2. to clean something up by raking. • Would you rake the yard up? • I will rake up the yard. 3. Fig. to find some unpleasant information. • His opposition raked an old scandal up and made it public. • That is ancient history. Why did you have to rake up that old story?
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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Revive, bring to light, especially something unpleasant, as in She was raking up old gossip. [Late 1500s]
American Heritage Idioms