burn
verb (used without object)
to undergo rapid combustion or consume fuel in such a way as to give off heat, gases, and, usually, light; be on fire.
had been burning
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past perfect progressiveof burn.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 Dixie fire had been burning for seven days when, on July 20, 2021, an investigator first came across Maynard, who was about 200 yards from what would later be called the Cascade fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
The warrant said it appeared that either a headboard or a cabinet in a bedroom had been burning.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
Another wood bank reported receiving a call from a woman who said she had been burning boards from her shed to stay warm.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2023
Earlier this month, a fire had been burning slowly in the ruins of the port's grain silos, giving off an orange glow visible at night from nearby neighbourhoods.
From Reuters ● Jul. 31, 2022
There was also the problem that if stars had been burning indefinitely in a static universe they’d have made the whole intolerably hot–certainly much too hot for the likes of us.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
