ほじくり出だす

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

pick out; dig out; poke out

Physical action of digging or prying something out of a confined space, such as picking one's nose or cleaning a hole.

• 子こ供どもが鼻はなをほじくり出だしていた。

  The child was picking his nose.

• 彼かれは鍵かぎ穴あなに詰つまったゴミを針はり金がねでほじくり出だした。

  He poked out the debris stuck in the keyhole with a wire.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

pry into; dig up; ferret out

Figurative use: persistently digging into someone's private matters or secrets, often with a negative connotation of nosiness.

• 記き者しゃは芸げい能のう人じんの過か去こをほじくり出だそうとした。

  The reporter tried to dig up the celebrity's past.

• 人ひとのプライバシーをほじくり出だすのはやめてください。

  Please stop prying into people's privacy.