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.
A graveyard caretaker wonders, “Why did they have to go and dig up Jason? Some people have a strange idea of entertainment.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Kemp and Ranganathan then had the opportunity to dig up some gold graves which would add to the prize pot, or alternatively dig up and free their fellow players.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
They steal electricity cables, damage water pipes and dig up roads, said Michael Sun, a member of the provincial legislature in Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Instead of processing gold and other metals on site—which involves heavy chemical use—Contango plans to dig up the ore, pack it into containers, and ship it to a mill elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Suppose I had been the one to a dig up the bottles?
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
