act
noun
anything done, being done, or to be done; deed; performance.
had been acting
-
past perfect progressiveof act.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.
The U.S. economy has strong underlying growth, but worries about large fiscal deficits had been acting as a headwind for the dollar, especially given its role as the world’s reserve currency, he noted.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
Tang Ngok-kwan, a former Alliance committee member, said on Monday he believed that the group had been acting within the law.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
Sources have also said he had been acting strangely and got into some type of argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party at talk show host Conan O’Brien’s house hours before the slaying.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
After Machado won, some Polymarket users and outside observers questioned whether the mystery trader had been acting on nonpublic information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
He was distracted with misery, not only because he knew that he had been acting unwisely and wickedly, but also because he was genuinely in love with the Queen.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
