circle
noun
a closed plane curve consisting of all points at a given distance from a point within it called the center. Equation: x 2 + y 2 = r 2 .
had been circling
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past perfect progressiveof circle.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.
Fields and Weisberg — both fathers, both Jewish, both believers in the powers of the talking cure — had been circling the idea of a series that took therapy as its starting point.
From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2022
In Wednesday’s incident, the aircraft, a twin-engine plane, took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and had been circling inside heavily restricted airspace close to the Capitol when the alert was sent.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2022
He had been circling the crime scene ever since looking to see if he could find his child.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2022
All morning, Russian planes had been circling the skies above the city.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2022
A gull had been circling us for hours.
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
