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)

Phrases

dig in one's heels

: to take or persist in an uncompromising position or attitude despite opposition

Examples of dig in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Television reports showed rescue personnel using jackhammers, circular saws, farm tools and sometimes their bare hands to dig in areas of thick mud, rocks and uprooted trees. —Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025

Now, the Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles star and real estate broker is ready to thin his property portfolio, asking a dash under $10 million for his non-waterfront digs in Miami Beach. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2025

Instead, Putin has dug in on his war goals and even intensified his attacks on Ukraine. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

Eagle Peak Instant Pop-Up Greenhouse There’s nothing quite like digging in the dirt come springtime, but why wait? —Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2025

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