: 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
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Back in October, Anderson ditched her famous blonde hair for a copper red hue for a role in an upcoming film—and Lee apparently asked her to go back to blonde in time for his wedding.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 11 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
For the past decade, Mia Mottley has steered Barbados from a former British colony that ditched the monarchy to a republic championing climate financing and debt reform for small island-states.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Back in October, Anderson ditched her famous blonde hair for a copper red hue for a role in an upcoming film—and Lee apparently asked her to go back to blonde in time for his wedding.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 11 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 15 Feb. 2026.
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