1 A2 neutral
To remove something from the ground by digging.
"The archaeologists dug up several Roman coins near the old city walls."
separable
dig up
B1 neutral separable transitive
To remove something from the ground by digging; or to discover hidden or forgotten information.
In plain English
To take something out of the ground, or to find information that was hidden or hard to find.
What does "dig up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To discover and reveal hidden or obscure information, especially something someone wanted kept secret.
"The journalist dug up evidence that the minister had accepted illegal payments."
separable
3 B1 informal
To break up or remove the surface of a road, path, or ground for repairs or construction.
"They've dug up the main road again — the traffic is terrible."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a spade to move earth upward and remove something from the ground.
Actually means
To take something out of the ground, or to find information that was hidden or hard to find.
Usage tip
Extremely common in both literal and figurative senses. The figurative sense ('dig up dirt', 'dig up evidence') is very frequent in journalism and everyday speech. Separable — the object can go between 'dig' and 'up' (e.g., 'dig it up').
Words that pair with "dig up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
information evidence dirt treasure body garden
How to conjugate "dig up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dig up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
digs up
he/she/it
Past simple
diged up
yesterday
Past participle
diged up
have + pp
-ing form
diging up
continuous
Hear "dig up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dig up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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