betray
verb (used with object)
to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty.
had been betraying
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past perfect progressiveof betray.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.
He was more upbeat than he had been in a while, since his body had been betraying him slowly but surely — first his hips, then his heart.
From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2012
They would call Sarah in, on a pretext, and watch her face; if she had been betraying them to Mr. Burgess, it would show in her manner.
From The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain
“Because, Cynthy,” he said, raising her little face so that he could gaze seriously into her bright eyes, “because, dear, I should feel as if I had been betraying the confidence of my best friend.”
From Eli's Children The Chronicles of an Unhappy Family by George Manville Fenn
The audience had been growing more and more restless and unsettled, and the faces of those that sat on the platform had been betraying greater and greater dismay and consternation.
From The Iron Heel by Jack London
The thought that he had been sitting like that, with his spirit far away, all the time that she had been betraying her watch in sleep, was dreadful.
From The Patrician by John Galsworthy
