as in finding
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
she tried to dig up any information she could for the report on sharks
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Recent Examples of digging up
The minerals Kajumba and hundreds of thousands of impoverished Congolese were digging up allowed the rest of the world to enjoy the benefits of electricity, but the benefits to the people of Congo were woefully limited.
—
Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
But once again, Pietrek’s detective work shines a light on the murkier areas, digging up receipts and orders for rum—hundreds of thousands of gallons’ worth—from various sources.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Williams’ original 2018 version with jazz sax player Charles Lloyd is certainly worth digging up.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
That restriction requires the land owner to submit a soil management plan approved by IDEM before digging up soil.
—Amelia Pak-Harvey, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
The cemetery was at the center of a major scandal in when it was uncovered in 2009 that cemetery workers had been illegally digging up and moving bodies to resell the plots.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Their data found hundreds of armadillos happily digging up gardens as far north as Indiana and as far east as North Carolina.
—Maggie Koerth, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
While some sellers might have had this winter sports gear for only a year or so, others might be digging up old gear from their basements or garages that is no longer considered safe by current standards, such as helmets, which often have an expiration date.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025
This has become the central theme of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City—probably the most chaotic show in its franchise—whose characters are always trying to root out which of their frenemies is furtively digging up dirt and spreading rumors about their legal or financial woes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
But once again, Pietrek’s detective work shines a light on the murkier areas, digging up receipts and orders for rum—hundreds of thousands of gallons’ worth—from various sources.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Williams’ original 2018 version with jazz sax player Charles Lloyd is certainly worth digging up.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
That restriction requires the land owner to submit a soil management plan approved by IDEM before digging up soil.
—Amelia Pak-Harvey, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
The cemetery was at the center of a major scandal in when it was uncovered in 2009 that cemetery workers had been illegally digging up and moving bodies to resell the plots.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Their data found hundreds of armadillos happily digging up gardens as far north as Indiana and as far east as North Carolina.
—Maggie Koerth, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
While some sellers might have had this winter sports gear for only a year or so, others might be digging up old gear from their basements or garages that is no longer considered safe by current standards, such as helmets, which often have an expiration date.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025
This has become the central theme of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City—probably the most chaotic show in its franchise—whose characters are always trying to root out which of their frenemies is furtively digging up dirt and spreading rumors about their legal or financial woes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for digging up
Verb
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Los Angeles’s tight ends’ success in finding paydirt against Seattle could come into play again this week.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The idea behind genetic genealogy is to take DNA from a crime scene and enter it into a publicly accessible genealogy DNA database in hopes of finding a close enough match to relatives of the unknown perpetrator.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This letter is my heart and body learning now to sing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Starting in the fall, every student in elementary and middle school in Beijing, and several other districts, began learning about AI.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In Panama, families will participate in a new Blink glamping experience on the San Blas Islands, working with the Guna community while exploring coral reefs, snorkeling with dolphins, and discovering the region’s unique ecosystems.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Over the next couple of years, the study authors followed a trail of bone fragments downslope for several meters, discovering more teeth and a series of larger bones from the upper body.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After locating handgun ammunition in the SUV, Burbank PD used a helicopter and police dog named Spike to locate Alas along a steep embankment along the freeway.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Officials have requested the public's help in locating the two men, and also shared CCTV footage showing what the men were wearing on New Year’s Day.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nelsen had also told police in 1988 that a few months before her murder, Debe was worried about Bob finding out about her relationship with John Pearson.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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After finding out about the incident, Shrone's family decided to enroll her in a new school.—
April Quevedo,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dozens of homes and businesses were damaged in the massive flooding, some still digging out from the muddy debris.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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Michigan is still digging out from a bomb cyclone earlier this week that brought blizzard conditions, several feet of snow and waves surpassing those of the Edmund Fitzgerald storm in 1975 — possibly setting a new Great Lakes record.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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With the shot clock running down, Franklin passed the ball from the near mid-pool to Franklin positioned in front of the Beckman goal.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
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People just running down the street.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Steele briefly considered taking a year off and perhaps getting into broadcasting, but that notion didn’t last long.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Doctors say not getting a vitamin K shot puts babies at risk of severe bleeding.—
Dr. Jade Cobern,
ABC News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Digging up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digging%20up. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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