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.
Iran faces an enormous, costly and time-consuming effort to dig out from under the damage caused by the U.S. and Israeli attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
As time went on, she found it increasingly difficult to dig out of that hole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
In the port of La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit cities, the BBC saw people using crowbars, mallets and pickaxes to try to dig out loved ones and neighbours.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
“My client lied to the police. He lied to his lawyers in this case. And that’s a hard, hard hole to dig out of.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
I dig out a one-piece that she’s had since swim class in sixth grade, holding it up to her with a smirk.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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.
