1. the act of digging in the ground to clear land or remove roots

1. digging in the ground, especially to remove roots, stumps, or weeds
2. searching thoroughly through something

Examples

• The farmers spent the morning grubbing out old tree stumps.
• She was grubbing around in her purse looking for her keys.
• The land clearing required extensive grubbing before planting could begin.
• He was grubbing through the old boxes in the attic.
• The grubbing of the field took several days to complete.
• They were grubbing for edible roots in the forest.
• The construction crew began grubbing the site yesterday.