Disinter: meaning, definitions and examples

Formal and often used in legal or forensic contexts, when referring to the act of digging up a body or remains from a grave. It can also mean bringing a topic or memory back into discussion.

• The investigators decided to disinter the body to uncover new evidence.
• The historian disinterred old documents that shed new light on the subject.

Formal and often used in forensic, archaeological, or historical contexts when referring to the act of removing a body from the ground for examination or reburial.

• The authorities exhumed the remains to conduct further forensic analysis.
• During the archaeological dig, the team exhumed several ancient artifacts.

Less formal than 'disinter' or 'exhume', suitable for referring to discovering something that was buried or hidden, usually in the ground but can also mean uncovering hidden information.

• The construction workers unearthed an old coin while digging the foundation.
• The journalist managed to unearth some shocking information about the politician.

Informal and commonly used in everyday language when referring to finding or uncovering something hidden, such as information, an object, or even dirt.

• Can you dig up some old photos for the family reunion?
• The gardeners had to dig up the old tree roots to plant new ones.