Let bygones be bygones

1. Let past offenses and problems stay in the past; don't let them taint the present.

Idioms and Phrases

What's done is done; don't worry about the past, especially past errors or grievances. For example, Bill and Tom shook hands and agreed to let bygones be bygones . [First half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

That 36 in Adelaide and 78 in Leeds serve to highlight the temperament of players who can let bygones be bygones and remember only the good times.

From BBC

And it’s a real shame that he won’t let bygones be bygones and get behind Trump, his president, because Trump will always be out there fighting for Mike Pence.

From Slate

One of the first and biggest voices denouncing Bud Light over its Dylan Mulvaney campaign is willing to let bygones be bygones.

From Washington Times

But perhaps Americans are in a forgiving mood and figure it's best to let bygones be bygones and welcome Trump back to the White House because he can't possibly be any worse than the president who has brought the country out of the mess created by the pandemic with one of the strongest jobs booms in half a century, passed massive bipartisan legislation under the most difficult circumstances and is handling foreign policy challenges few have had to confront since the cold war.

From Salon

In a video, he said the army was ready for negotiations, but "we will not let bygones be bygones."

From Reuters

Related Words

• absolve
• condone
• excuse
• forget