1
as in excavating
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 enjoying
to take pleasure in
I really dig bluegrass music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
can you dig what I'm saying?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poking
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
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.
Recent Examples of digging
Once soil health improves, many gardeners find that digging individual planting holes is sufficient for establishing crops.
—
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
And they’ve consistently been plagued by slow starts, digging themselves a too-familiar hole again by falling behind 2-0 for the fifth time in six games.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Emma Chamberlain’s collaboration with West Elm brought us this beautiful take on vanity organizers for handsome bathroom decor (an anemic category, upon digging further).
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
No more digging through one big chaotic group chat to find that one message.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Two mass funerals have been held, with pictures showing bulldozers digging 60 graves in Kabul last Thursday.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Lerosey-Aubril says that the fossil itself is also a reminder to keep digging.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Apr. 2026
Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor if they're caught excavating, digging or altering the land along the parkway.
—James Taylor, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
An excavator spent Thursday digging an escape channel.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
And they’ve consistently been plagued by slow starts, digging themselves a too-familiar hole again by falling behind 2-0 for the fifth time in six games.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Emma Chamberlain’s collaboration with West Elm brought us this beautiful take on vanity organizers for handsome bathroom decor (an anemic category, upon digging further).
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
No more digging through one big chaotic group chat to find that one message.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Two mass funerals have been held, with pictures showing bulldozers digging 60 graves in Kabul last Thursday.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Lerosey-Aubril says that the fossil itself is also a reminder to keep digging.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Apr. 2026
Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor if they're caught excavating, digging or altering the land along the parkway.
—James Taylor, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
An excavator spent Thursday digging an escape channel.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for digging
Verb
-
Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor if they're caught excavating, digging or altering the land along the parkway.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Teamwork thrives when promises are specific, and as tough Saturn sextiles excavating Pluto, your friendship zone and your travel sector combine.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Josh gets to sit back, relax and focus on being a dad while enjoying the fleeting moments of high school ball before Michaela heads to college.—
Charles Baggarly
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
These are the public spaces that guests mill about in—sipping a berry cooler at the long bar, enjoying a glass of malbec and a read by the stove, or playing monopoly at the communal table.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Moderate exercise helps, but high-intensity overtraining can raise cortisol further, worth knowing if punishing workouts are already part of a stressed routine.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Ruca told Fox News Digital there were a few bittersweet feelings going into the match, just knowing what the two have been through together.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Upon the umpteenth retelling, Jules (Jeff Wilbusch)—who witnessed the gory death of Rachel’s mother (Victoria Pedretti) as a little boy and therefore wholeheartedly believes in the curse—begins poking holes in the story.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
2 Apr. 2026
-
While the 1930s and 1940s did see some instances of carnival poking fun at the tyranny of the Nazi regime (none of which, it should be noted, went unpunished), Birdsall and other scholars maintain that the festival was, first and foremost, an avenue for propaganda.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some vacationers relish lounging by the pool with a good book, taking a walk on the beach, or savoring spa time.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Baked into our calendar and customs are endless mechanisms for marking time, for savoring, for taking stock, for starting fresh.—
Risa Polansky Shiman,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Binary neutron stars have long been considered the best bet for deciphering what lurks within.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
She is accused of stabbing a pregnant woman outside in the parking lot of the Harris Teeter in Cotswold on March 18.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In 2013 she was convicted of manslaughter in the stabbing death of her boyfriend.—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As Kaiko continues adjusting to life indoors, Turner hopes her story will help others recognize the long‑term consequences of unethical breeding—and the difference a safe, loving home can make.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
All of our kids, every single one of them, protecting them, loving them, showing up for them.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Digging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digging. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
