dig up
Idioms-
Search out, find, obtain, as in I'm sure I can dig up a few more supporters . [Mid-1800s]
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. Find derogatory information about someone or something. For example, The editor assigned him to dig up all the dirt on the candidates . The slangy use of the noun dirt for “embarrassing or scandalous information” dates from about 1840, but this metaphoric expression is a century newer.
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.
Hundreds of years later, when Wyck and Patricia dig up his coffin, they find him inside, very much alive but lacking sufficient answers.
From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026
"What do the ECB do, if they have to dig up the pitch and start again? It means no cricket here for two years," ex-New Zealand bowler Simon Doull told Sky Sports.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
There’s also a sand pit where children can dig up replicas of pygmy mammoth bones.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
For travelers of nearly every stripe, that means turning to agents—also called advisers—who can dig up hidden nooks while snagging free upgrades, arranging local guides and ensuring seamless transfers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Oaks grow from the occasional acorn that a squirrel forgets to dig up.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
