develop
verb (used with object)
to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state.
had been developing
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past perfect progressiveof develop.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.
Those measurements gave researchers a detailed view of changes that had been developing months before the eventual calving event.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
After publication of Hassabis’s proposal, a report from Bloomberg News suggested Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had been developing a similar proposal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
A British aerospace company that had been developing a replacement for the Hawk T1s went into administration last week.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Among the teams below him, TBD Lab houses the new pricey scientists, who will work on future AI models, and the Fundamental AI Research Team, or FAIR, which had been developing the Llama models.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
Their opportunity had been developing since Memorial Day, when Senator Henry Jackson of Washington called at Livermore.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
