dig for

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.
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.
See also: dig
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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.
See also: dig
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • dig for (something)
  • (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
  • a crack at (someone or something)
  • (you) wanna make something of it?
  • a bird in hand
  • a bird in the hand
  • a fast talker
  • (you've) got to get up pretty early in the morning to (do something)
  • a horse of another
  • a horse of another color
References in classic literature
THERE comes a time in every rightly- constructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.
Tom Sawyer
The map that tells where we are to dig for the idol of gold!
Tom Swift In The Land Of Wonders
Caption: Puppies and young dogs mostly like to dig for the sheer joy of making the earth move underneath their paws!
Diggity Dog?
The applicant said the Federal Investigation Agency's cybercrime wing had lodged a case against the DIG for blackmailing her with the assistance of a friend, Danish Ghani, by uploading her objectionable pictures on social media.
CJP orders arrest of DIG for cyber-harassment of ex-wife
They are more likely to dig for two reasons: They are behaviorally more like wolves--and wolves are avid diggers--and Huskies have heavy coats that cause them to suffer more from the heat than a thin-coated dog.
Her Doxie excels at excavating the yard, including the garden
In order to ascertain whether it is really King David's spa, it will be necessary to dig for several months to the other end of the 30-meter-long tunnel.
Has King David's Spa Been Uncovered?
The state's own attorney general, Scott Harshbarger, teamed up with Boston's Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and sued every agency involved in the Big Dig for their failure to keep their promises about improving the city's bus and transit lines.
Boston's Dirty Secrets
Dogs will dig for many reasons including boredom, foraging or hunting rodents, and creating a cool place to lie down.
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