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.
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
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
No one was immune to the ongoing effects of the ICE raids, the Palisades and Altadena fires, and the struggle to dig out from the hole left by the pandemic and the Hollywood strikes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 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
The same morning the man set to work to dig out the doe and her growing litter.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
