compose
verb (used with object)
to make or form by combining things, parts, or elements.
had been composing
-
past perfect progressiveof compose.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.
The Oscar-winning actor said he had been composing music "all my life", and that "music was my first desire, my first wish".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
They had been composing music together for the better part of the year and vowed to send it to music supervisors before the calendar turned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2024
Mr. Emerson had been composing and working with internationally known symphony orchestras, including in Germany and Japan, and was about to embark on a short tour in Japan starting April 14 with his band, Kawaguchi said.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2016
For weeks, Lincoln had been composing the most important public document he had ever undertaken, his inaugural address.
From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2011
The music critic Harold Schonberg goes further: Mozart, he argues, actually “developed late,” since he didn’t produce his greatest work until he had been composing for more than twenty years.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
