dig out
Idioms-
Extract, remove, as in He was determined to dig out every bit of metal he could find . [Late 1300s]
-
Find by searching for, as in He dug out his first contract from the file . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Driven by poverty and unemployment, the zama zamas -- which means "those who try" in the Zulu language -- descend deep into still gold-bearing shafts abandoned by mining companies or dig out new ones.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
While I have heard of truly exceptional efforts by farmers, volunteers and members of the public offering to clear local roads, dig out cars and keep people safe.
From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026
Now, she’s waiting to dig out her home to find out if it’s even habitable.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025
If instituting fair grades leads to crying, sobbing and “soul-crushing” setbacks, I wish her luck should she ever be called on to dig out a ruptured appendix at 3 a.m. on her birthday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025
The first thing I do is dig out my own glasses and put them on, which relaxes me a little, to have at least one of my hunter's senses working.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
