dug

Definition of dugnext
past tense of dig
1
as in excavated
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth a backhoe dug a hole in the backyard to make a swimming pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in poked
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

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 dug The junior right fielder dug down deep and stuck with his convictions Tuesday after struggling to create type of contact during his first two plate appearances. Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 Boggs and the women on her side dug their heels in deeper. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026 Bulldozers dug pits in a Kabul cemetery before Wednesday's mass funeral, which Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said was for more than 50 people whose remains couldn't be identified. Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026 Mass funeral in Kabul Bulldozers dug pits in a Kabul cemetery before Wednesday’s mass funeral, which Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said was for more than 50 people whose remains couldn’t be identified. Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026 Dick dug the hole in the hill, cemented it all in and then borrowed 2 acres of land from a friend who had 13 acres—back in those days, such transactions were simpler—and planted a vineyard. Laura Ness, Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2026 But Miami had dug itself into too deep of a hole to climb all the way out. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026 Because of this, holes for new plants should be dug wide, not deep. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026 Satellite imagery showed that the graves were dug on Monday in a previously untouched section of ground, consistent with a Saturday bombing and a Tuesday funeral. Mahsa Alimardani, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dug
Verb
  • As an anthropology major, her first job was working on Howard’s African Burial Ground project as an osteological technical assistant doing skeletal analysis of the 490 full human remains that were excavated in lower Manhattan.
    Essence, Essence, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Along University Avenue, land has been excavated for a new boutique hotel, which is in the process of gaining its structural footings.
    Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Previously, the credibility that podcasters enjoyed stemmed from their opposition to mainstream media, and the low-tech and intimate videos reflected this.
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Ver’s team enjoyed a remarkable ability to dictate terms.
    Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • During opening arguments, Mark Lanier presented the jury internal company documents from Meta and YouTube that showed tech executives knew of and discussed the negative effects of their products on children.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Meta has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years over its handling of child and teen safety, spurred in part by whistleblower testimony before Congress in 2021 that alleged the company knew its products could be harmful but refused to act.
    Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.
    Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Many spectators poked fun at the efforts of Chicago police to confiscate and collect BORGs in viral posts over the weekend.
    Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Suffice it to say, the man always liked books.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
  • There have been subsequent revelations of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel posts Duwaji had shared and liked.
    Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Major decisions about land use, tax incentives, and infrastructure were largely finalized before most community members fully understood the project’s scale—which has also grown into a much larger build-out than originally planned.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Halifax understood the ancient truth that, in politics, the lows are lower than the highs are high.
    David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Muhammad later returned to the restaurant with a knife and mask and allegedly stabbed Harris, according to police.
    DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Taylor was fatally stabbed in 2000 in a stairwell in Peckham, South East London, just metres from his home.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • A little girl who loved green aliens, drinking pickle juice and picking buttercups in the field with her mom.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
  • No artist ever mocked the insanity of the Hollywood cartoon stystem with such devastating incisiveness, and yet loved its creative output so much.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dug. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on dug

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster