apply
verb (used with object)
to make use of as relevant, suitable, or pertinent.
had been applying
-
past perfect progressiveof apply.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.
Since the suspension, Garg had been applying for new sources of funding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
Naldi had been applying an over-the-counter spray - given to him by Ferrara - to a cut on his own hand before then carrying out treatments on Sinner.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2024
We had been applying for Medicaid long-term care to receive a home health aide since early November 2021.
From New York Times ● Nov. 14, 2023
For months now, his brother, his brother’s wife and their six children had been applying for evacuation.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 10, 2021
Briefly, for some time they had been applying to the various government agencies, in the hope that with the government’s assistance they would be able to obtain legal support for their empty claims.
From Bahíyyih Khánum by Baha'i World Centre
