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.

Abbey Bujupi, 40, said she had been cleaning when she got a call from her husband.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

“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

As Reyes told it, Trigueros had been cleaning a general use classroom on March 10, the Thursday before USC’s weeklong spring break, when she found a backpack that contained “a substantial amount of money.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2022

Mrs. Friedman had been cleaning off the blackboard.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben