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

Since Cassidy lost his GOP primary reelection earlier this year, he's dug in against the administration on various political fronts, namely over the Iran war. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Against Australia in the last 16, Argentina were again labouring when faced with an inferior opponent, digging in and determined to spoil their World Cup dreams. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Sony is giving Marathon time, but even pulling out a number of stops already, the game will have to really dig in to find something that works. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

His friends sat at the table in Q39, wearing their Lionel Messi jerseys, and continued to dig in. — Jenna Thompson june 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 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