dip
verb (used with object)
to plunge (something, as a cloth or sponge) temporarily into a liquid, so as to moisten it, dye it, or cause it to take up some of the liquid.
had been dipping
-
past perfect progressiveof dip.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.
Calderon said he had heard from numerous school districts across the state that had been dipping into reserve funds to avoid layoffs and cutbacks since the Secure Rural Schools Act expired.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
Erdogan's popularity had been dipping amid a cost of living crisis even before last month's earthquakes.
From Reuters ● Mar. 4, 2023
Francona also woke up with peanut butter on his glasses, he said, because he had been dipping pretzels into a jar of peanut butter as he fell asleep in bed.
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2021
Stevens, a 42-year-old farmer who once taught school, admitted that he had been dipping into the town till ever since he took office in 1935, but he had put back $3,100.
From Time Magazine Archive
Dobyns had been dipping his toe into archival research for more than a decade, with results he found intriguing.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
