into the ground

phrase

: beyond what is necessary or tolerable : to exhaustion
… labored an issue … into the ground …—Newsweek

Examples of into the ground in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Oil drilling began in the Bayou in the 1920s, a time of lawless extraction, and for decades, companies would simply dump their wastewater into large, unlined pits, allowing the fluid to seep into the ground. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026 The robotic vehicle's initial drogue parachute deployed successfully, but its main parafoil detached during deployment, leaving the prototype unable to slow its descent before crashing into the ground, according to ESA officials. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Man on the moon In late 1969, Bowie and then girlfriend Angie Barnett moved into the ground floor of Haddon Hall, a historic home on South London’s 42 Southend Road. — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026 After the crash, a man got out of the white car, approached the driver's side of the tan car, and fired multiple gunshots into the ground while standing outside of the vehicles. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for into the ground

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of into the ground was in 1836

Rhymes for into the ground

See All Rhymes for into the ground

Browse Nearby Words

into the breach
into the ground
into the woodwork
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Into the ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/into%20the%20ground. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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