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

Leo tells me, surveying the horrific damage that people ask him to dig in the mud for their photos, their keepsakes, not their TVs or appliances. — Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026

Situated between busier coastal destinations this idyllic town and its marshes will immediately transport you back to your early carefree days playing in creeks, digging in pluff mud, catching crawfish, and tossing cast nets. — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 July 2026

In Berlin, dive back in time by touring an underground World War II bunker or escape tunnels dug in the 1960s between East and West Berlin. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026

As the implosion of Graham Platner in Maine stokes an intraparty debate over progressives’ campaign acumen, the left has sought to change the subject by digging in against data centers as energy-hungry behemoths that hurt communities. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 July 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