reopen old wounds
idiom
: to cause people to think of things from the past that make them sad, angry, etc.
Telling that story will only reopen old wounds.
Examples of reopen old wounds in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The film unfolds across intimate Brooklyn spaces — apartments that feel borrowed, late-night conversations that blur into morning, chance encounters that reopen old wounds — as Roger navigates his lingering bond with his ex (Nicole Beharie) and a tentative new connection (DeWanda Wise).
—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
These sorts of questions can reopen old wounds and quickly become confrontational and uncomfortable.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
Forty years later, the brothers finally re-unite, back on Scottish soil, to reopen old wounds and reconcile with their shared past.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Now, some would rather reopen old wounds and copy the worst behavior from other states.
—Larry Hogan, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2025
While some may find solace in the end, for many – even those who support the execution – the intervening years of appeals and uncertainty often reopen old wounds.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Events in both works are instigated by a reunion and propelled by family feuds that reopen old wounds.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
If emotions start to run high again, take a step back and remind yourselves of the goal—to connect and heal, not to reopen old wounds.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Comforted by her two cats — who are also tattooed on her arm, hugging — two guinea pigs, and two chinchillas, plus an attorney and a longtime friend, Hill-Johnson begins to reopen old wounds and lay bare some of Mack’s faults and missteps.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024
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Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
These sorts of questions can reopen old wounds and quickly become confrontational and uncomfortable.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
Forty years later, the brothers finally re-unite, back on Scottish soil, to reopen old wounds and reconcile with their shared past.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Now, some would rather reopen old wounds and copy the worst behavior from other states.
—Larry Hogan, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2025
While some may find solace in the end, for many – even those who support the execution – the intervening years of appeals and uncertainty often reopen old wounds.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Events in both works are instigated by a reunion and propelled by family feuds that reopen old wounds.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
If emotions start to run high again, take a step back and remind yourselves of the goal—to connect and heal, not to reopen old wounds.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Comforted by her two cats — who are also tattooed on her arm, hugging — two guinea pigs, and two chinchillas, plus an attorney and a longtime friend, Hill-Johnson begins to reopen old wounds and lay bare some of Mack’s faults and missteps.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Reopen old wounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reopen%20old%20wounds. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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