dig in

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

dig in (third-person singular simple present digs in, present participle digging in, simple past and past participle dug in)

1. (colloquial) To begin eating.

   Synonyms: chow down, fall to, tuck in

   I wanted to say grace before dinner, but the kids were already digging in.

2. (colloquial) To engage in a burst of hard work.

   Synonyms: fall to, go for it

   I've got to dig in for a couple of weeks to secure my promotion.

   • 2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2 - 3 Man City”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Mancini's men were far from their best but dug in to earn a 10th win in 11 league games and an eighth successive victory in all competitions to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table.

3. (military, also figurative in sports) To dig trenches to resist an enemy attack.
   • 2022 April 4, Dan Sabbagh, “Routing of Russian forces from Kyiv area will be hard to repeat in eastern Ukraine”, in The Guardian‎:

     If Russia choses to dig in, then the military balance – which typically favours the defender on a 3-1 ratio – is reversed.

4. (idiomatic) To adopt a resolute state of mind.

   to dig in one's feet, heels, etc.

5. To cover over by digging.

• dig in one's heels

• dig into

• Gindi, IDing