burrow into

[wrongnumber]

What does burrow into mean as in the following passage ?

"As a result of thousands of little human interactions—posies received, tribal dances watched, buildings opened, ships launched, waves bestowed— the institution of the monarchy burrowed deeper into public affection, at home and in the Commonwealth, in a way that was surprising in the 20th century and even more in the 21st."

The passage is from an article about Queen Elizabeth II in The Economist.

 

[SoothingDave]

Did you look up "burrow?"

 

[Rover_KE]

wrongnumber, click here and bookmark the site for future reference.

 

[wrongnumber]

Yes, I did look up burrow. However, I can't wrap my head around how burrow is explained as the way it is used in the context. Obviously, it doesn't mean making a hole or hiding oneself. And it is used figuratively. I can vaguely understand what the sentence says because it is with this context. But I am not certain if I use the word burrow correctly if I want to convey similar ideas. For example, can I say, during the war, the enemy is burrowing false information into news outlets.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, it is used figuratively. Like a groundhog burrows into the ground, the queen burrowed into people's affections. (Or something like that.)

 

[5jj]

can I say, during the war, the enemy is burrowing false information into news outlets.

No. Burrow is intransitive.

 

[SoothingDave]

Think of how the animal literally entrenches itself inside the earth and makes itself hard to remove.