Meaning & use

water under the bridge

phrase·Everyday

Past events or troubles that are over and no longer worth worrying about or holding a grudge over.

See it in a sentence

We argued about the schedule last year, but that's water under the bridge now.

He apologized for the mistake, and she told him it was all water under the bridge.

A note on using this word

This idiom is used to signal forgiveness or acceptance that something cannot be changed, so it is pointless to dwell on it.

Words with a similar meaning

bygonesthe past

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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