clean
adjective
free from dirt; unsoiled; unstained.
had been cleaning
-
past perfect progressiveof clean.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.
Her father, she said, had been cleaning the laneway when the man approached.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2023
“She was brilliant and witty and everyone adored her, but what I remember most clearly was this man who had been cleaning the building,” she said.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2023
By then, Gaxiola had been cleaning the house for more than four decades, and had become a regular housekeeper.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 5, 2022
The 61-year-old custodian had been cleaning bathrooms, classrooms, labs and offices there for more than two decades, and was on a first-name basis with many of the psychology professors and staff who worked there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2022
The straw was curled and mangled as if Mr. Munch had been cleaning the sidewalk for, like, twenty years with it.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
