dig in

verb

dug in; digging in; digs in

transitive verb

1

: to cover or incorporate by burying

dig in compost

2

: to establish in a dug defensive position

the platoon was well dug in

intransitive verb

1

: to establish a defensive position especially by digging trenches

2

a

: to go resolutely to work

b

: to begin eating

3

: to hold stubbornly to a position

4

: to scuff the ground for better footing while batting (as in baseball)

Phrases

dig in one's heels

: to take or persist in an uncompromising position or attitude despite opposition

Examples of dig in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If instead the corporation digs in, further empowering the unwitting wreckers and saboteurs — well, bless their hearts. —Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

Rather than attempt to mend relations with the US, Maduro has dug in his heels by cozying up to one of its biggest competitors, China. —Andrew Raine, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025

Even when Rivers facetiously dug in with questions about why Feinberg didn’t conform to one gender or another, zie flipped the question and asked why the system existed at all. —Quispe López, Them., 29 Aug. 2025

What happens if Cook digs in and this becomes a true standoff (as seems likely)? —Isaac Saul, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for dig in

• trigone

Kids Definition

dig in

verb

1

: to dig and take position in a trench

the soldiers dug in

2

a

: to go to work

b

: to begin eating