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

Ball also pointed to the Hornets digging in during the final two quarters. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 Mar. 2026

When that first layer feels too tight, too loose, or digging in somewhere, the whole occasion starts off on the wrong foot. —Jason Phillips, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026

That doesn’t necessarily mean digging in compost everywhere. —Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026

That funding is backing laboratory and computer analysis of research samples and findings, creating new data from digging in on old craters around our globe. —Leonard David, Space.com, 14 Mar. 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