distribute
verb (used with object)
to divide and give out in shares; deal out; allot.
had been distributing
-
past perfect progressiveof distribute.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.
Luna Blanca, a Ceuta-based charity providing food and social assistance to vulnerable people, said it had been distributing between 3,500 and 4,000 meals a day since the influx began.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Siyabonga Hlatshwayo told the eNCA news site that the Red Cross had been distributing hot meals, mattresses and blankets to those affected and he appealed to the public for more donations.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2023
A work colleague, Anastasia Avetysian, told the New York Times that SE Ranking had provided emergency evacuation funds for its employees and Tatiana Perebeinis had been distributing them.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2022
Pompeo had been distributing stickers that said “I Like Mike” against a red-and-blue background, playing on a famous phrase used by Kansas’s favorite son, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, “I Like Ike.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 30, 2020
I suspected that Crossan and others had been distributing them.
From The Red Hand of Ulster by George A. Birmingham
