1
as in excavated
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 enjoyed
to take pleasure in
I really dig bluegrass music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in knew
to have a clear idea of
can you dig what I'm saying?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poked
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
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Recent Examples of dug
Those unable to find cloth or wood dug holes in the ground.
—
Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Downstream, though, a large dip in the jet stream, or trough, has dug its claws in, bringing wave after wave of Arctic air southward, along with conditions that are ideal for forming powerful winter storms.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
The death of Floyd, after a police officer dug a knee into his neck for more than nine minutes, was a catalyst for the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests that sought law enforcement reforms and accountability.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
This ice cellar was dug by hand, decades prior.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
New York City public schools will reopen Tuesday after nearly 375,000 students participated in remote learning Monday as the city dug its way out of nearly a foot of snow, Mayor Mamdani said.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
In this one, the Lakers nonchalantly dug a 26-point hole but cared enough in the second half to chop down the deficit to 93-91, on a one-footed fadeaway 3-pointer from Luka Doncic.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
An arresting image, the technological Singularity as the industrial revolution in terrifying maturity; a teleology of this moment from when coal was first dug and iron first processed.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
But the producer dug deep into his vaults.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Downstream, though, a large dip in the jet stream, or trough, has dug its claws in, bringing wave after wave of Arctic air southward, along with conditions that are ideal for forming powerful winter storms.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
The death of Floyd, after a police officer dug a knee into his neck for more than nine minutes, was a catalyst for the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests that sought law enforcement reforms and accountability.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
This ice cellar was dug by hand, decades prior.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
New York City public schools will reopen Tuesday after nearly 375,000 students participated in remote learning Monday as the city dug its way out of nearly a foot of snow, Mayor Mamdani said.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
In this one, the Lakers nonchalantly dug a 26-point hole but cared enough in the second half to chop down the deficit to 93-91, on a one-footed fadeaway 3-pointer from Luka Doncic.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
An arresting image, the technological Singularity as the industrial revolution in terrifying maturity; a teleology of this moment from when coal was first dug and iron first processed.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
But the producer dug deep into his vaults.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dug
Verb
-
The glass vessel, recently rediscovered in a storage room at the Bergama Museum, was originally excavated from a tomb in this legendary city known for its therapeutics.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Officials won't be able to diagnose the cause of the leak until the pipe is excavated.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Premium sake should be enjoyed cold to appreciate its nuance and aromatics.—
Shindy Chen
February 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
That lack of rain many have enjoyed for three months in South Florida — allowing near uninterrupted opportunities for outdoor activities — comes at a cost.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Young knew almost instantly the tracks belonged to a river otter.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Fennell knew the film hinged on the casting of Cathy and Heathcliff, two iconic literary characters who have been portrayed by a multitude of actors over the years, including Laurence Olivier, Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The sports journalist, who split from Kelce in 2022, joined forces with Tiffany Haddish, Ben Simmons, and Offset in a Sleeper commercial that poked fun at the aftermath of calling it quits in the spotlight.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Altman and other senior executives took to social media to respond to swipes from Anthropic, which ran Super Bowl ads that poked fun at OpenAI's decision to run ads within ChatGPT.—
Ashley Capoot,Kate Rooney,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
These 5-second, 10-second and shot-clock turnovers are a good indicator of the aggressive style of full-court defense that Texas liked to play.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Fernández liked the intent against the Wizards as much as the box score.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It must be understood that historical references to this team are like prompts on an online dating profile — not under any circumstances to be taken seriously, but a fun jumping off point.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The complication is not well understood but appears to be the result of the virus prompting the immune system to attack a certain protein that some brain cells produce.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The victim was stabbed multiple times in the back as the quarrel escalated, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Elordi strides naturally through the film’s burning-of-Atlanta orange sunscapes and its grasslands stabbed by obsidian spikes of rock.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The couple—who got engaged last summer—stepped out for the 2026 Berlinale Film Festival last night; this time, looking equally loved up but embracing complete polar-opposite fashions.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The red onion, the jalapeños, loved the ranch component.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dug. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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