decrease
verb (used without object)
to diminish or lessen in extent, quantity, strength, power, etc..
had been decreasing
-
past perfect progressiveof decrease.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.
In 2019, the NHS said it was committed to reducing the number of fatalities by 50% by 2025, although maternal deaths, neonatal deaths and stillbirths had been decreasing over the last decade.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2023
By contrast, cases had been decreasing in the lead-up to the off-year election on Nov. 2, 2021, a few months prior.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
Most of the departments that responded to The Times’s survey said they were worried about their funding levels, which in most cases had been decreasing or flat before the pandemic.
From New York Times ● Oct. 18, 2021
Crime - and the perception of it - has long plagued the seaside gambling resort, even while statistics show crime had been decreasing for years before an uptick in 2019.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 14, 2020
Her breathing had been decreasing since nine or ten o'clock in the morning, and became gradually imperceptible.
From The Life and Times of Kateri Tekakwitha The Lily of the Mohawks by Ellen H. Walworth
