dig 1 of 2

verb

ˈdig How to pronounce dig (audio)
Definition of dignext
1
as in to excavate
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth a backhoe dug a hole in the backyard to make a swimming pool

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in I really dig bluegrass music

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to know
to have a clear idea of can you dig what I'm saying?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to poke
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object every time I slowed down, he'd dig me in the ribs

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dig

2 of 2

noun

1
as in jab
a quick thrust gave him a dig in the ribs with my elbow

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2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings got in a couple of digs about lawyers at my friend's expense

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in apartment
digs plural a room or set of rooms in a private house or a block used as a separate dwelling place check out my new digs on the north side of town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dig
Verb
Another unidentified bear later dug the cub and dragged the the body away. — Annie Colbert, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 The moat In June, Higgs responded to his neighbors’ ongoing frustration by digging a moat to divert rain water. — Zuri Primos july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Noun
Both of the youngsters fledged, or took their first flight from the nest, but are still hanging around their natal digs, enjoying parental food deliveries and protection from intruders. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 But it was viewed as more than just a simple instruction, it was seen as a dig at rival Microsoft Xbox's strict game-sharing policies. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dig
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dig
  1. excavate
  2. enjoy
  3. know
  4. poke
  5. jab
  6. insult
  7. apartment
  8. shovel
Verb
  • The roughly six-mile-wide (10-kilometer-wide) asteroid struck Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, excavating the Chicxulub crater and vaporizing enormous quantities of rock.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The team tried excavating another unknown soldier from an unrelated case just a day before, but were unsuccessful.
    — Hope McKenney, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of excavate
Verb
  • Drinks, treats and a maker’s market featuring local vendors will be available for all the noncanine attendees to enjoy as well.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Order the refreshing house specialty, the Valverde Spirit, and enjoy it while sitting amid the chic vintage furniture.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoy
Verb
  • The findings from the 2017 eclipse suggested another explanation, known as the diffraction-interference, might be responsible for shadow bands.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Raquel’s battling that same thing of just not really knowing how, but wanting to be in her version of being a good mom.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor.
    — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Noun
  • Urbina floored him with a counter jab, settled into side control and let fly with punches and elbows until the referee stepped in.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is financing the first clinical trials for an experimental jab to control the outbreak, though production is not expected until year-end.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • Several celebrities and their PR teams have denounced Perez for his viscous public insults, from Khloe Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga, a former friend of Perez.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In recent years, Georgia’s State Election Board has been plagued by infighting, feuds, insults, partisan maneuvering and out-and-out shouting matches.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Though this two-bedroom apartment dates back to the 1920s, local firm Elements Architectural Group lovingly restored it in 2023.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Another couple was killed with their child in a strike on an apartment in Gaza City, where ‌two more people died in a strike on a tent near the office of the ‌Egyptian representative mission, medics said.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of apartment
Verb
  • In smaller areas, use a garden fork or shovel instead to preserve the soil structure.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
  • When commercial extraction began in the 1840s, workers were not simply shoveling loose bird droppings.
    — Edward D. Melillo, Fortune, 27 July 2026
Definition of shovel

Phrases Containing dig

Browse Nearby Words

diffusion
dig
dig (away)
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Cite this Entry

“Dig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dig. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dig

Nglish: Translation of dig for Spanish Speakers

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