dig out

verb

dug out; digging out; digs out
Synonyms of dig outnext

transitive verb

1
: find, unearth
2
: to make hollow by digging

intransitive verb

: take off sense 1a

Synonyms of dig out

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of dig out in a Sentence

she dug her old art supplies out of the basement without saying where she was going, the young woman dug out early the next morning
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
On one particular play, Jonah Savaiinaea dug out the running lane so much he could be spotted picking up, and then throwing defensive tackle Kenneth Grant a few feet away from the play. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026 Lee’s Summit’s beleaguered municipal court system needs a series of improvements, including more court dates, additional staff and help to dig out of a backlog of work, a city consultant said. — Nathan Pilling july 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026 Once the patio has been laid out, use a mattock and shovel to dig out an area equal to the size of the patio and about 5-1/2 inches deep. — Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2026 Casey came up with an excuse prior to the 2023 season to have Gary dig out the Dodgers card, then had his local tattoo artist make his vision a unique — and realistic — homage. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dig out

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dig out was in the 14th century

Rhymes for dig out

See All Rhymes for dig out

Browse Nearby Words

digonoporous
dig out
digoxigenin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dig out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dig%20out. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All