The word "举报" is formed by combining two conceptual actions into a single, unified idea. The first character, "举" (jǔ), carries the core meaning of "to lift up" or "to bring to light", conceptually representing the act of uncovering or revealing something that was hidden. The second character, "报" (bào), means "to report" or "to inform", conveying the subsequent action of formally notifying an authority. Together, they sequentially depict the complete process: first lifting the information into view and then formally reporting it, thus creating the compound meaning of "to expose and report", or simply, "to inform on someone".