ditch

noun

\ˈdich

Definition of ditch

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)

ditch

verb

Definition of ditch (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1) The pasture was hedged and ditched.

b : to dig a ditch in

2 aviation : to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water successfully ditched the plane

3a : to get rid of : discard ditch an old car had to ditch their plan

b : to end association with : leave ditched school His girlfriend ditched him.

intransitive verb

1 : to dig a ditch

2 aviation : to crash-land at sea

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ditch

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Examples of ditch in a Sentence

Noun

He drove the car into the ditch. after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch

Verb

The thief ditched the purse in an alley. They ditched the car in a vacant lot. They ditched me at the concert.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

While investigating signs of trespassing into municipal properties, the officers heard pellet gun shots on the other side of a steep drainage ditch. — Houston Chronicle, "Game warden field notes," 1 July 2018 The buffer zone between the school and the incoming oil project is the students’ soccer field and a drainage ditch. — Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, "24 Oil Wells in a School’s Backyard. How Close Is Too Close?," 31 May 2018 Somewhere mid-route, a large white heron flew out of a tree and soared across the road in the direction of a drainage ditch on the other side. — Janice Gary, Longreads, "Bang and Vanish," 18 Apr. 2018 Bizarrely, Stern’s firm placed a drainage ditch along the sidewalk. — Inga Saffron, Philly.com, "These two new Philadelphia apartment buildings are civilizing the Vine Street Expressway," 4 Apr. 2018 In one project, 125 people were paid $3 a day each to dig drainage ditches — but on the condition that Christians and Muslims work together. — Nicholas Kristof, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Conflict is more profitable than peace’," 26 Mar. 2018 The outdoor classroom needed a drainage ditch that would have cost upward of $20,000, and the hydroponics lab required ownership of the plant, which couldn't be acquired before Kip's 18th birthday. — Shelly Haskins, AL.com, "Three Eagle Scouts, one proud Alabama family," 25 Feb. 2018 The parting gift is not, however, some last-ditch attempt at goodness. — refinery29.com, "What That Disappointing Luke Cage Ending Means For The Future," 27 June 2018 The chase took place about 6 p.m. Friday in the Town of Christiana, when Dane County Sheriff’s deputies pursued an Acura TSX that went through a ditch at a high rate of speed, losing two tires before crashing into a field. — Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Teens lead deputies on a wild car chase in stolen vehicles — one caught hiding in a tree," 23 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Former Poway Mayor Don Higginson sued the city and the state last year over the city’s decision to create a by-district voting system, ditching its at-large system for electing City Council members. — Bianca Bruno, Pomerado News, "Appeals panel backs Higginson's challenge to by-district elections," 15 June 2018 And Macron has insisted that any communiqué mention the Paris climate accord that Trump ditched last year. — Michelle Kosinski, CNN, "Trump unenthusiastically heads for contentious G7," 7 June 2018 In the meantime, the United States imposed debilitating economic sanctions to force Iraq to ditch its nuclear weapons program once and for all. — Peter Schwartzstein, Smithsonian, "How Saddam and ISIS Killed Iraqi Science," 30 May 2018 Savona, who served as industry minister in a government in the 1990s, has questioned whether Italy at some point should ditch the euro as its official currency. — Time, "Italy's Populists Angered as President Foils Their Bid to Form a Coalition Government," 29 May 2018 Transit agencies are increasingly looking for ways to cut costs and ditch diesel but have previously expressed concern over the limited ranges of electric batteries. — Theodore Schleifer, Recode, "The electric bus company Proterra is worth up to $840 million after raising new money," 24 May 2018 Beavers Coffee + Donuts, the popular Chicago doughnut truck, has undergone a rebranding, ditching its animal mascot in favor of a new name and approach, dubbed The Dapper Doughnut. — Adam Lukach, RedEye Chicago, "Beavers Coffee + Donuts is changing its name (and giving away free doughnuts)," 1 May 2018 Knowing how to operate a manual transmission vehicle is becoming less common, as more vehicles are ditching the clutch. — William Thornton Wthornton@al.com, AL.com, "Can you drive stick? Honda wants to make sure," 24 Apr. 2018 It’s time to ditch the caveats that come with the compliments for the 29-year-old Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver. — Jim Ayello, USA TODAY Sports, "Former winners could rise to the top at Grand Prix of Long Beach," 12 Apr. 2018

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