had been cleaning
- past perfect progressive of clean.
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
Mr. Kisel said he had been cleaning and fixing the stadium himself.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2022
He had been cleaning, and his hands were dirty, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2022
The station had been cleaning out old lost items.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2020
He explained that a couple of days before, he had been cleaning the operating room as they finished up with my surgery.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
