behave
verb (used without object)
to act in a particular way; conduct or comport oneself or itself.
had been behaving
-
past perfect progressiveof behave.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.
In recent days, the Symi’s crew had been behaving as though they believed the ship faced a threat.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 25, 2023
Madix: I knew that I wanted that to be accurate to the way that he had been behaving the 48 hours leading up to that.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2023
Plano Police said the man, who had been behaving erratically, entered the lobby of the department’s headquarters at around 12:15 p.m. on Sunday.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2021
Plano police said the man, who had been behaving erratically, entered the lobby of the department's headquarters about 12:15 p.m. on Sunday.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 29, 2021
He was thinking of his green worm, which had been behaving oddly, refusing to eat and hanging from the side of its box with its chin tucked in.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
