godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Physical action of digging or prying something out of a confined space, such as picking one's nose or cleaning a hole.
子供が鼻をほじくり出していた。
The child was picking his nose.
彼は鍵穴に詰まっ
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.
記者は芸能人の過去をほじくり出そうとした。
The reporter tried to dig up the celebrity's past.
人のプライバシーをほじくり出すのはやめてください。
Please stop prying into people's privacy.