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.
In Tunick's case, "law enforcement seemingly took advantage of the relaxed constitutional protections at the border to try to dig up evidence" against him, his lawyers said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
After all, he will be the one who needs to dig up this information.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
There’s also a sand pit where children can dig up replicas of pygmy mammoth bones.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
“It’s science. Archaeologists dig up fossils and stuff, and they can tell how old things are. Cockroaches—I mean crawlers—are really old and they’ve never changed much,” said Gregor.
From "Gregor the Overlander" 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.
