ditch

1 of 2

noun

: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)

ditch

2 of 2

verb

ditched; ditching; ditches

transitive verb

1
a
: to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1)
The pasture was hedged and ditched.
b
: to dig a ditch in
2
aviation : to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water
successfully ditched the plane
3
a
: to get rid of : discard
ditch an old car
had to ditch their plan
b
: to end association with : leave
ditched school
His girlfriend ditched him.

intransitive verb

1
: to dig a ditch
2
aviation : to crash-land at sea

Examples of ditch in a Sentence

Noun He drove the car into the ditch. after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch Verb The thief ditched the purse in an alley. They ditched the car in a vacant lot. They ditched me at the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Police, unaware at the time of Polly’s kidnapping, helped free Davis’ car from a ditch on a private road a few hours later. John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024 First scan these areas with your sonar and put marker buoys along channels and ditches to chart your route. Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024 Whiteland Police report sinkhole The sinkhole, which measures at around 3 feet wide and 5 feet deep is located along Whiteland Road near Whiteland Community High School and Brewer ditch. Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024 If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and shield your head, or leave your vehicle and find shelter in a ditch or ravine. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024 Read Next National Dog shot ‘execution style,’ left to die in Washington ditch. Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2024 Just hours later, San Antonio police found her naked body in a drainage ditch beneath a bridge on the 7600 block of Dell Oak Drive. Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024 The complex included a wall, round towers and a ditch. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 The lawsuit alleges the business is discharging an unpermitted amount of phosphorus through canals and ditches, making its way to the Lac Courte Oreilles lake. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Thor star Chris Hemsworth ditched his hammer for his trusty Audemars Piguet at this year’s CinemaCon in Vegas. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2024 For some people, simply switching shoes (and possibly ditching their socks) is enough to help their toes achieve proper splay. Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024 Katie Holmes, Joanna Gaines, and Mindy Kaling have all ditched skin-tight styles in favor of breezier alternatives this spring. Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024 So, ditch your old skinny jeans and snag one of these pairs that even my Gen Z teens approve of. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024 The crew then headed to Rome for more Challengers press, and Zendaya ditched the extensions in favor of her shoulder-length lob once more, this time with a cute retro spin. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Apr. 2024 But the International Monetary Fund has repeatedly recommended that the country ditch the cryptocurrency, citing risks including high volatility. Michael Rios, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024 Or ditch the devices and brush up on rules for the I Spy road trip game. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024 But not every voyage went as-planned – if the seas were rough, crews would sometimes have to ditch their valuable cargo to lighten their load and keep the ship afloat. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ditch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English dich, from Old English dīc dike, ditch; akin to Middle High German tīch pond, dike

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ditch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ditch

Cite this Entry

“Ditch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ditch. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

ditch

1 of 2 noun
: a long narrow channel or trench dug in the earth

ditch

2 of 2 verb
1
: to dig a ditch in or around
2
a
: to get rid of : discard
ditch an old car
b
: to end association with : leave
his girlfriend ditched him
3
: to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water

More from Merriam-Webster on ditch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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