dig

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verb

ˈdig

dug ˈdəg

; digging

Synonyms of dig next

transitive verb

: to break up, turn, or loosen (earth) with an implement

digging dirt with a shovel

machines digging up the road

: to prepare the soil of

dig a garden

: to bring to the surface by digging : unearth

dig potatoes

: to bring to light or out of hiding

dig up facts

: to hollow out or form by removing earth : excavate

dig a hole

dig a tunnel

: to drive down so as to penetrate : thrust

dug her toes into the sand

The hawk dug its claws into its prey.

: poke, prod

dug me in the ribs with his elbow

slang

: to pay attention to : notice

dig that fancy hat

: understand, appreciate

couldn't dig the medical jargon

: like, admire

High school students dig short poetry.—

David Burmester

intransitive verb

: to turn up, loosen, or remove earth

digging in the garden

dig for buried treasure

: to work hard or laboriously

: to advance by or as if by removing or pushing aside material

digging into the history of the company

dig

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noun

: thrust, poke

a dig in the ribs

: a cutting remark

a subtle dig at their lack of preparedness

digs plural

: accommodations (see accommodation sense 1a) for living or working

buying furniture for his new digs

chiefly British : lodging sense 2b

: an archaeological excavation site

also : the excavation itself

participated in a dig

dig

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Example Sentences

Verb Some animal has been digging in the garden. They dug into the sand with their hands. He dug down about 10 feet before he hit water. Dig a hole three feet deep. The first step in building a house is to dig the foundation. The prisoners escaped by digging a tunnel under the fence. digging clams on the beach These detectives won't stop digging until they find out what happened. Noun She gave me a dig in the ribs to get my attention. She participated in a dig last summer. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

If not, take the initiative to dig deeper by answering questions like: How much of your identity is anchored in your job? —

Elaine Welteroth, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Feb. 2023 Jolene Alves, captain of administration for the Cumberland Police Department, admired Scarlett’s eagerness to dig for answers. —

Carlos R. Muñoz, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Feb. 2023 Some authorities have publicly criticized their counterparts for taking too long to dig into high-profile cases, with some even proposing revising the GDPR so major, large-scale investigations aren’t handled by one office alone. —

Catherine Stupp, WSJ, 1 Feb. 2023 If not, take the initiative to dig deeper by answering questions like: How much of your identity is anchored in your job? —

Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2023 Around the same time, some companies and foundations named after Nazis hired historians to dig into their honorees’ pasts. —

Lev Golinkin, CNN, 31 Jan. 2023 Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after demurring for weeks over sending Germany's Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, looks set to dig his heels in over providing fighter jets. —

Susie Blann, ajc, 30 Jan. 2023 Eventually, they were allowed to cross the river to dig the graves themselves. —

Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023 Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after demurring for weeks over sending Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, looks set to dig his heels in over providing fighter jets. —

Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2023

Noun

One of her shadier comments was a dig at your husband being a sugar daddy. —

Zoe Haylock, Vulture, 6 May 2022 Goldberg's cohost, Joy Behar, reminded the ladies that Kardashian has power thanks to her 335 million followers on Instagram, though Sunny Hostin responded with a dig at the mogul's acting chops. —

Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2022 But her jokes weren't directly related to this personal news — rather her first line took a dig at the AACTAs itself. —

Alicia Vrajlal, refinery29.com, 7 Dec. 2022 Harris took another dig at FTX, which owes over $3 billion to its 50 largest creditors, by saying his company was smart enough to not take on debt. —

Dallas News, 22 Nov. 2022 Troy Aikman, the commentator standing beside Buck, responded with a dig at the Hoosiers. —

Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Sep. 2022 Aloe Blacc was the host of the evening, starting the show with a dig at the Academy Awards for choosing not to televise best score, among other categories, live at the upcoming Oscars. —

Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2022 Beginning in 2020, volunteers have been assisting with the dig as part of a community archaeology project, known as Rendlesham Revealed. —

David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2022 In one of the treatment rooms at the spa, Karen, 58, chimed in on the drama with a dig at Gizelle, who organized the day in honor of pregnant costar Ashley Darby. —

Ally Mauch, PEOPLE.com, 25 July 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dig.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.