# exhumed

/ɛksˈhjumd/ (US) · /ɛɡzjˈuːmd/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/exhumed
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Definition

to dig up something that was buried, usually a dead body. You also use it when old facts or secrets are brought back into the open.

For teachers: to remove a buried body from the ground, usually for legal or scientific examination. Extended to bringing hidden facts, works, or memories back into public attention.

## Examples

- They exhume the body for further testing.
- Police exhumed the body after new evidence suggested the death was not natural.
- Decades later, historians exhumed forgotten letters that reshaped the public memory of the trial.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.