dig for
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to search carefully through something to find information or a hidden object. You use this when you look for something that is not easy to see or get.
phrasal verb. to search thoroughly through a container, collection, or body of information to locate something specific. Often implies effort or persistence in uncovering hidden details.
I had to dig for my keys in my messy bag.
The journalist spent weeks digging for evidence to support the claims made by the whistleblower.
Historians must often dig for primary sources in dusty archives to reconstruct the nuanced reality of a long-forgotten political movement.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; the particle 'for' is required to introduce the target of the search.
I dug the truthI dug for the truthThe phrasal verb requires the particle 'for' when searching for abstract information or hidden items.
Last updated July 27, 2026