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

Part of the solution, parents say, is to let students dig in the dirt during science class or leaf through a library book during English. — Stephanie Cook Broadhurst, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026

Skubal dug in and struck out Caglianone to end the inning, getting him with his signature changeup on his final pitch. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

In Children Playing on the Beach, 1884, two pudgy and sunburned girls dig in the sand. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026

At the Idaho site, the EPA requires people to request permits from a local health district before digging in their yards. — Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 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