absorb
verb (used with object)
to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up.
had been absorbing
-
past perfect progressiveof absorb.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while she had no formal training in arts administration, she realised she had been absorbing it for more than 20 years.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2022
At night, the big problem is environmental radiation — the energy emanating from asphalt, concrete and any other surfaces that had been absorbing sunlight all day.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2021
The British had been absorbing the parasite since June, but the Franco-Americans arrived in the Tidewater only in September.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2010
Oil-dependent industries that had been absorbing higher costs are also beginning to suffer.
From Time Magazine Archive
The anxieties about the situation in France that had been absorbing the country had for the moment dissipated in the afternoon’s sunshine.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
