buy
verb (used with object)
to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, especially in money; purchase.
had been buying
-
past perfect progressiveof buy.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.
Some investors had been buying the SpaceX-heavy Baron funds recently as a play on Musk’s company.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
Beginning in 2019, it had been buying the company’s expected payments from retailers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
In 2020, Danish antiquities dealer Dr Ittai Gradel began to suspect an eBay seller he had been buying from was a thief who was stealing from the British Museum.
From BBC ● May 27, 2024
He mentions former Microsoft board member Mason Morfit had been buying up Nintendo stock, which Spencer said “could create more opportunities for us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2023
Felix had been buying stuff he wanted, not focusing on the price and the end goal of spending every penny.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
