ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dig oneself in a hole

idiom
Meaning

To put oneself in even more trouble.


Examples
SIMPLE

Stop arguing or you will dig yourself in a hole.

CONTEXTUAL

By lying to his boss about the missing report, he only continued to dig himself in a hole.

COMPLEX

With every desperate excuse he offered to the committee, he seemed to dig himself in a hole, making his eventual dismissal almost inevitable.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    ace in the hole

    Synonym of ace up one's sleeve.

  2. 02

    adorn oneself with borrowed plumes

    To claim the honor of another for oneself.

  3. 03

    apply oneself

    Synonym of strive: to work hard, to complete an activity with good effort and focus.

  4. 04

    be oneself

    To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others.

  5. 05

    bear oneself

    To behave and conduct oneself in a particular manner.

  6. 06

    blow a hole through

    To destroy the integrity or cohesion of.

  7. 07

    box oneself into a corner

    To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

  8. 08

    burn a hole in someone's pocket

    To cause someone to spend money or be tempted to spend money.

© 2026 English Reference