dig 1 of 2

verb

ˈdig How to pronounce dig (audio)
Definition of dignext
1
as in to excavate
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth a backhoe dug a hole in the backyard to make a swimming pool

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in I really dig bluegrass music

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to know
to have a clear idea of can you dig what I'm saying?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to poke
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

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dig

2 of 2

noun

1
as in jab
a quick thrust gave him a dig in the ribs with my elbow

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2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings got in a couple of digs about lawyers at my friend's expense

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in apartment
digs plural a room or set of rooms in a private house or a block used as a separate dwelling place check out my new digs on the north side of town

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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 dig
Verb
Sasha is there to encourage her to dig deeper when her early attempts at writing fall flat. — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026 Audiences may have to wait years between Avalanches albums, but the group never stops writing or digging through its archives. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
According to character descriptions provided by the streamer, Mantzoukas plays Lambros, a local store owner and occasional looter of the treasures unearthed at the dig site. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 And for anyone who likes their coastal digs mostly white but not entirely without a little whimsy, the wallpaper might just seal the deal. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dig
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dig
  1. excavate
  2. enjoy
  3. know
  4. poke
  5. jab
  6. insult
  7. apartment
  8. shovel
Verb
  • When decades-old music or books are excavated and celebrated — lately a common occurrence amid the retromania of our culture industry — the artists are often long gone.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Crews excavated an 8-acre basin in the infield to serve as a holding pond, while contractors rebuilt the culverts under the track and reinforced the road leading into it.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of excavate
Verb
  • Just a day earlier, he’d been spotted enjoying a pre-birthday dinner at Mamo in Manhattan, wrapped in a chestnut-brown fringed shawl that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Sienna Miller’s fall wardrobe.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Dolphins had run 293 offensive snaps and not enjoyed an advantage at any point in any of them.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoy
Verb
  • The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who has worked at a fast-growing company at the edge of technology knows that obligations, circumstances and products change daily.
    — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • Ask it to poke holes and give you the strongest case against something.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poke
Noun
  • With blistering satirical slants and a steady mix of acidic jabs at middle-class life, Darko should be boffo among the teen and young adults segment as well as those viewers still plugged into a sophomoric self-identity.
    — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Trump also defended himself against Maher’s jabs at his low approval ratings by wildly mischaracterizing CNN’s reporting.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • Try to remember that your teen’s eyes were focused squarely on the $100 prize and so this is an issue of overlooking rather than one of insult.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Yet in a land where machismo still reigns, it’s considered a rather severe insult.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Hebron municipal officials said families had been displaced from nearly 500 apartments in Deir Bahha and surrounding neighborhoods.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Outrage in Israel Hebron municipal officials said families had been displaced from nearly 500 apartments in Deir Bahha and surrounding neighborhoods.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of apartment
Verb
  • Renminbi’s place in global central-bank reserve coffers has actually fallen since 2022, despite Beijing shoveling its currency into developing economies through central-bank swap lines.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But earlier this year, the Navy reservist and his friend shoveled a six-carat diamond from a field in Arkansas where he's found over 300 gems so far.
    — LAURA TURBAY, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of shovel

Phrases Containing dig

Browse Nearby Words

diffusion
dig
dig (away)
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Cite this Entry

“Dig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dig. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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