dig for (something)
1. Literally, to dig in search of something that has been buried. My dog has been digging for something out in the yard all morning—I wonder if he buried a bone. What's up with the old man walking the beach with the metal detector and a shovel? Is he digging for buried treasure? It was surreal to watch the police dig for evidence in the park near my house.
2. By extension, to investigate in an attempt to uncover information about someone or something, often negative information. I've been digging for scandalous information on her but have been unsuccessful so far. You can dig for salacious material all you want—you won't find anything to tarnish my campaign! I'll ask my usual sources at the tabloids to start digging for gossip on that actress. She can’t treat you like that and get away with it.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
dig for something
1. Lit. to excavate to find something that is buried. They are digging along the river bank for a special kind of clay. I want to dig for gold in Alaska.
2. Fig. to go to great pains to uncover information of some kind. The police were digging for some important information while they questioned Mike "Fingers" Moran. There is no point in digging further for the name of the inventor. I have it right here.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.