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

These are the places where my son Dante would lie on his then-tiny toddler pot belly, drawing in his notebook or digging in the sand. —Alexandra Sanidad, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026

These gingham palazzo pants boast a stretchy, elastic waistband that won’t dig in or cause irritation, and their flowy design offers some ease and relaxation on stressful travel days. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026

Even without the custom wrapping, just showing up ready to dig in the dirt with her — planting flowers, pulling weeds or repotting something together — turns an ordinary afternoon into quality time. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026

Is Aaron Boone still dug in on Ben Rice not playing every day? —Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 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