dig out
Idioms-
Extract, remove, as in He was determined to dig out every bit of metal he could find . [Late 1300s]
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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.
"We're still working, still searching for bodies. We're still going. It hasn't been easy," said Venezuelan volunteer Francisco Sasquia helping dig out a collapsed residence.
From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026
As international rescue teams from the US, Mexico and dozens of other countries scrambled with trained dogs and heavy equipment to dig out survivors, Venezuelans began burying the dead they could find.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
A distinguishing feature is that on each hand, the possum's fourth finger is twice the length of other digits, which scientists say help it dig out wood-boring insect larvae, it's main source of food.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
The plan behind the $2.7 billion merger was to create a luxury juggernaut, while cost savings from the deal were expected to help Saks dig out of a deepening hole of delayed payments to suppliers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
Snapshots of Mr. Hale sitting on the corner of his desk, someone bending in her chair to dig out another pen from her book bag on the floor.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
