compete
verb (used without object)
to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in business.
had been competing
-
past perfect progressiveof compete.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.
To onlookers, it was astonishing seeing a schoolgirl in a headband outwit adults who had been competing at top-flight events since before she was born.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The two had been competing in youth tennis tournaments since they were 8, usually meeting in the finals.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2025
Jonny Fox from Brighton had been competing in the British Paragliding Championships in September 2023 when he had his accident.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2025
Both players had been competing for the fifth spot in the Braves’ starting rotation.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 14, 2023
I had been competing from the moment I had entered the mission school.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
