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 has managed to dig out missiles trapped in underground facilities by U.S. attacks early in the war and has recently resumed production of new missiles from stockpiled parts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
It is a dream moment for planetary scientists because it lets them test their models of how impacts dig out craters, throw debris across the surface, and send tremors through the Moon's interior.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The lower a pension fund’s ratio, the harder it is to dig out of the hole even as taxpayers shovel out more and more money to keep the shortfall from growing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 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
He hurried up to his room to dig out the pentomino code that he’d made for himself and Tommy before his friend left:
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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.
