catch
verb (used with object)
to seize or capture, especially after pursuit: to catch a runaway horse.
had been catching
-
past perfect progressiveof catch.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.
They had been catching candidates claiming to be in Florida, for example, but actually residing in Brazil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Before the pandemic, Eastern European countries had a lower life expectancy than Western European ones—although it had been catching up.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 21, 2022
Mr. Armstrong, who had been catching up on work, met her in the snack aisle, just as she was reaching for a bag of sweet corn chips.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2022
By 1969, the Cuyahoga River, and other rivers around America, had been catching fire because of pollution for years.
From Slate ● Nov. 25, 2019
There was only this: For years, unbeknownst to the rest of them, Minya had been catching ghosts and...keeping them.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
