dug

Definition of dugnext
past tense of dig
1
as in excavated
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth a backhoe dug a hole in the backyard to make a swimming pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in poked
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object every time I slowed down, he'd dig me in the ribs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dug Her mother dug her out from under debris and Sasha remained in a coma for 15 days. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 Fifteen yards into his route, James dug inside, turned to catch the pass from Zabransky, and took a little jab step upfield as four Oklahoma defenders closed in. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026 The Braves dug deep in their bullpen for all eight innings Saturday. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, which is leading the search, said rescuers dug through snow on Mount Himlung to find eight bodies in tents at the base camp, where one person remains missing. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of British troops crisscrossed fields with thousands of metres of razor wire and dug a long ditch that was later partially filled with water to act as a moat to keep the Protestant marchers away from the Catholic enclave. — Amanda Ferguson Reuters, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026 But the Rebels dug deep again, and came away with the emotional victory. — Patricia Babcock McGraw Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 Field dug plants usually do fine with two irrigations per week through the warmer months. — Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2026 At Fuerte Guaicaipuro, a military facility, investigators documented detainees being confined in pit-like cells dug below ground level and subjected to cold, food deprivation and other degrading treatment. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dug
Verb
  • The last set of stairs, which lead to the basement that the couple excavated, is contemporary.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Chemicals were removed from the home, as well as a segment of underground pipe was excavated.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In states such as Alaska, Georgia and Ohio, Democratic governors could deliver new checks on Republican lawmakers who have enjoyed years of legislative control.
    — Kevin Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Country Music Hall of Famer and Kansas City have enjoyed a relationship of mutual admiration for decades.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Bella chews him out for punching Angus in the face right before Angus’s big presentation, which Johnny knew about because they were supposed to throw a return supper for him, a dinner Johnny was supposed to cook.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Drivers knew the back entrances, the factory layouts, and the best path to the boss of a mom-and-pop workshop.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Bellingham poked in Gordon's cross midway through the first half.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • George Lombard singled in a run, Jazz Chisholm poked one through the right side, Trent Grisham got a bunt down for a hit, knocking Crochet out of the game without getting an out.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Guadagnino liked the idea of shooting a tech movie about the future in a place once home to similar aspirations.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Being from Texas, Sewell no doubt liked things big, so he was attracted to the concept of a pizza that was thicker than flat-crust pies that copied the Italian model.
    — Edward Robert McClelland, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And the latest archaeoacoustic techniques show that even the world’s earliest architects understood this.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • That leaves room for disputes in which both sides agree the job began as at will but disagree about what was understood later.
    — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • After an Omani national copilot — who has since been identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami — allegedly stabbed FlyDubai flight 1073’s pilot Capt.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The copilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit before passengers intervened aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 after taking off from Dubai, UAE, with 182 people including eight crew members flying to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
    — Sam Metz, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For a kid who loved drawing, the box, with its many drawers, was a portal to a sparkling, colorful world.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Her father's mom, Gloria Paez, from Mexico, didn't speak English but loved to cook.
    — Anna Alejo, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dug. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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