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)

see also:

dig in one's heels

Examples of dig in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Tehran’s hard-line new senior leaders including Rezaei have signaled a willingness to dig in after weathering decades of sanctions. — Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Zverev was two points from a first-round exit against Lorenzo Sonego, but dug in to fight another day. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Tehran has dug in its heels — to Trump’s frustration — as energy prices rise, the global economy roils and poll numbers on the administration’s handling of the war dip ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections. — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Instead of owning up to the lazy use of AI, the team dug in its heels. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, 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