ditch

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of ditchnext
: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)

ditch

2 of 2

verb

ditched; ditching; ditches

transitive verb

1
a
: to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1)
The pasture was hedged and ditched.
b
: to dig a ditch in
2
aviation : to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water
successfully ditched the plane
3
a
: to get rid of : discard
ditch an old car
had to ditch their plan
b
: to end association with : leave
ditched school
His girlfriend ditched him.

intransitive verb

1
: to dig a ditch
2
aviation : to crash-land at sea

Examples of ditch in a Sentence

Noun He drove the car into the ditch. after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch Verb The thief ditched the purse in an alley. They ditched the car in a vacant lot. They ditched me at the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Federal Aviation Administration said a Monnett Sonerai veered off the runway and into a ditch after landing at Bourland Field Airport in Cresson. Doug Myers, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025 Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch. Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
Notably, the listing current does not leverage Kiffin’s celebrity to market the property, perhaps for obvious reasons, given his currently strained standing in the Magnolia State after ditching Ole Miss for an SEC rival during the Rebels’ College Football Playoff push. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2025 The researchers emphasized that the new findings do not mean choline is the cause of anxiety — or that people should ditch treatment plans in favor of diet tweaks. Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ditch

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English dich, from Old English dīc dike, ditch; akin to Middle High German tīch pond, dike

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ditch was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Ditch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ditch. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

ditch

1 of 2 noun
: a long narrow channel or trench dug in the earth

ditch

2 of 2 verb
1
: to dig a ditch in or around
2
a
: to get rid of : discard
ditch an old car
b
: to end association with : leave
his girlfriend ditched him
3
: to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water

More from Merriam-Webster on ditch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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