bog

verb

bogged; bogging

transitive verb

: to cause to sink into or as if into a bog (see bog entry 1) : impede, mire

—usually used with down

a car that had gotten bogged down in the mud

easy to get bogged down in the details

intransitive verb

: to become impeded or stuck

—usually used with down

Extra demand can cause the system to bog down.

Examples of bog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, this is clearly a movie made for both old fans and new audiences, and the film doesn’t bog itself down with series lore or characters, which is probably for the best. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

From America’s perspective, however, the splintering of Iran would have a disastrous impact on the Gulf and likely bog the U.S. down in the Middle East indefinitely, a commitment Trump promised to avoid. —Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026

Nothing would give Xi more satisfaction than watching the US bog itself down in another Middle East quagmire, diverting Washington’s attention and resources from China’s own backyard. —Andy Browne, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026

However, achieving major goals should not take a back seat because debating lesser policies--no matter how noble--bogs everything down. —Doug Szenher, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing bog

• bog asphodel
• bog bilberry
• bog blueberry
• bog down
• bog paper
• bog-standard

Rhymes for bog

• blog
• clog
• cog
• dog
• flog
• fog
• frog
• grog
• hog
• jog
• log
• og

Kids Definition

bog

1 of 2 noun

ˈbäg 

ˈbȯg

: wet spongy ground

especially : a poorly drained acid area in which dead plant matter accumulates and sphagnum grows in abundance

boggy

-ē 

adjective

bog

2 of 2 verb

bogged; bogging

: to sink or become stuck in or as if in a bog

get bogged down in too much detail