: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)
ditched; ditching; ditches
1
a
: to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1)
The pasture was hedged and ditched.
b
: to dig a ditch in
2
aviation
: to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water
successfully ditched the plane
Examples of ditch in a Sentence
Noun
He drove the car into the ditch.
after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch
Verb
The thief ditched the purse in an alley.
They ditched the car in a vacant lot.
They ditched me at the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 12 Feb. 2026
During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Prepare to do a double take, because the talk show host just ditched her signature brunette hair for a bold icy gray look.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ditch
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Noun
The team was en route to a baseball game in Arkansas when the bus reportedly rolled multiple times, went off the road and overturned in the ditch while on Iowa Highway 4 west of Twin Lakes and south of Pomeroy.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 12 Feb. 2026
During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
Playing frugal football Like Maye, a handful of former and current NFL players have never ditched frugal habits.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Prepare to do a double take, because the talk show host just ditched her signature brunette hair for a bold icy gray look.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ditch
Cite this Entry
“Ditch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ditch. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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