deter
verb (used with object)
to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
had been deterring
-
past perfect progressiveof deter.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.
Explaining the move, Met Commissioner Cressida Dick said the policy had been deterring new applicants - 10% of whom were rejected in 2017 because they had tattoos.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2019
