count
verb (used with object)
to check over (the separate units or groups of a collection) one by one to determine the total number; add up; enumerate.
had been counting
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past perfect progressiveof count.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.
Iranian officials, who had been counting on Beijing’s rhetorical cover, took notice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
That includes any softening in the Fed’s language around future rate cuts, a signal that even the modest easing Wall Street had been counting on later this year is now in doubt.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
Losing Wingfield will undoubtedly deal a significant blow to USC, which had been counting on Wingfield to step into a starting role along the offensive line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2025
She said she had been counting down the days to their wedding next September, adding that her wanting to marry Fury "would never have changed".
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
“Isabelle,” the girl said, in the tired manner of someone who’d said it a thousand times before, which, of course, was exactly what Dimple had been counting on.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
