The word ‘dig‘ can mean many different things. As a verb, some meanings include to make a hole by moving dirt/earth/mud or poke sharply.
For example:
- We took our spades to the beach and dug a big hole. (move earth)
- She dug her nails into my back. (poke sharply)
Dig is an irregular verb. The past tense is dug and the past participle is dug.
phrasal verbs with dig
Phrasal verbs with ‘dig’ include:
- dig in
meaning – start eating
example – The partygoers dug in when the free pizza arrived. - dig into
meaning – reach inside something or push against a body part
example – Sarah dug into her bag to find some loose change for the homeless man. (reach inside)
example – The zip from my jeans is digging into my stomach. (push against a body part) - dig out
meaning – look for something you haven’t seen/used in a while
example – Can you dig out your notes from the first semester? I’ve lost mine. - dig up
meaning – remove something from the ground or search for and find something
example – The police are digging up a body in the woods. (remove something from the ground)
example – The new guy at work is so dodgy, I’m going to dig up some dirt on him. (search for and find something)
picture phrasal verbs with dig
Let’s learn the meaning of the phrasal verbs that contain the verb ‘dig’ in more detail and see some examples in use.
