appear
verb (used without object)
to come into sight; become visible.
had been appearing
-
past perfect progressiveof appear.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.
“Is someone helping you?” asked Judge Gary Tanaka at a Dec. 17 hearing in his Torrance courtroom where she had been appearing with such regularity that the clerk knows her by first name.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
Gareth Richards had been appearing at the Fringe since 2010 and was due to perform another show this year.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2023
With just 16 days to prepare a major Puccini part for an important new production, Mr. Alagna, who had been appearing in “Pagliacci” at the Met, agreed to take it on.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2016
It all made for “great television,” little of which had been appearing at that time on ABC.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 5, 2015
Then there was Myrna, who had been appearing to him in a series of dreams that was taking the form of the old Batman serials that he had seen at the Prytania as a child.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
