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
as in enjoyed
to take pleasure in
I really dig bluegrass music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in knew
to have a clear idea of
can you dig what I'm saying?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of dug
Once a hole is dug, a tall crane slowly slides in a rebar cage that resembles a wire mesh dinosaur spine so the hole can be filled with concrete.
—
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
New York City public schools will reopen Tuesday after nearly 375,000 students participated in remote learning Monday as the city dug its way out of nearly a foot of snow, Mayor Mamdani said.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
In this one, the Lakers nonchalantly dug a 26-point hole but cared enough in the second half to chop down the deficit to 93-91, on a one-footed fadeaway 3-pointer from Luka Doncic.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
An arresting image, the technological Singularity as the industrial revolution in terrifying maturity; a teleology of this moment from when coal was first dug and iron first processed.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
But the producer dug deep into his vaults.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
After the soil was fertilized, Ryan dug holes near the corners of the towers to allow the developing vines to grow along the vertical strings that stretch to the top of the support.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 12 Jan. 2026
Spa Not content with growing sideways, Claridges has also dug deep—120 feet to be precise—to impress guests with its gorgeous, 7,000 square-foot subterranean spa.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2026
Christian Munck never owned one of the 80 million copies sold, but dug deep into the dramaturgy once he was cast as Langdon in the Palo Alto Players’ production.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
New York City public schools will reopen Tuesday after nearly 375,000 students participated in remote learning Monday as the city dug its way out of nearly a foot of snow, Mayor Mamdani said.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
In this one, the Lakers nonchalantly dug a 26-point hole but cared enough in the second half to chop down the deficit to 93-91, on a one-footed fadeaway 3-pointer from Luka Doncic.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
An arresting image, the technological Singularity as the industrial revolution in terrifying maturity; a teleology of this moment from when coal was first dug and iron first processed.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
But the producer dug deep into his vaults.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
After the soil was fertilized, Ryan dug holes near the corners of the towers to allow the developing vines to grow along the vertical strings that stretch to the top of the support.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 12 Jan. 2026
Spa Not content with growing sideways, Claridges has also dug deep—120 feet to be precise—to impress guests with its gorgeous, 7,000 square-foot subterranean spa.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2026
Christian Munck never owned one of the 80 million copies sold, but dug deep into the dramaturgy once he was cast as Langdon in the Palo Alto Players’ production.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dug
Verb
-
The wall was excavated more than 230 years ago, but some 300 inscriptions etched into it remained hidden until new technologies allowed researchers to identify them.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Researchers excavated seven mummies along with the bones of 54 other cheetahs from a site near the city of Arar.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This dish is best enjoyed shortly after it’s made.—
Hana Asbrink,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Citi has enjoyed a 70% adoption rate of its proprietary AI tools, according to 2025 fourth-quarter findings, and colleagues across 84 countries interacted with the bank’s AI tools over 21 million times.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This neighborhood was not as grand as Harlem proper, but everyone who hung their hat here knew its allure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Prosecutors said Villanueva knew the device qualified as a firearm and destructive device under federal law and that it was not registered.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During the winter storm, the department’s official X account went viral for a series of self-aware, tongue-in-cheek posts that poked fun at drivers, the weather and even the officers themselves.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Hadn’t poked my nose in anywhere, hadn’t seen anything, and just really enjoyed watching the film.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Richard and Moody tried their hands at Butler-style pullup jumpers, and Hield handled the ball a tad more than Kerr would have probably liked.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In the soundtrack of his youth, Walter Thompson-Hernández and his friends liked to devise a game of escape.—
Jason Parham,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The origin of clemency is understood through the Federalist Papers as a need for mercy in instances when the criminal justice system was too harsh.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The attraction stems from feeling emotionally understood.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shot a bunch of times in the stomach, twice in the head, stabbed in the arm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But the couple's elderly dog was inside the apartment and was stabbed between the eyes, authorities said.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Now, nearly 20 years later, her story of loss — and hope restored with the birth of triplets in 2008 — continues to resonate with a community who loved her then, and now.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who loved getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog who also recently died.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dug. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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