deplete
verb (used with object)
to decrease seriously or exhaust the abundance or supply of.
had been depleting
-
past perfect progressiveof deplete.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.
While the company had been depleting its credit and paying out all its cash in dividends, the equipment had been going into the scrap heap.
From The Railroad Builders; a chronicle of the welding of the states by John Moody
