escape
verb (used without object)
to slip or get away, as from confinement or restraint; gain or regain liberty.
had been escaping
-
past perfect progressiveof escape.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.
Executives conceded that GenX had been escaping into the Cape Fear River since 1980, despite previous promises to the E.P.A. that the discharges wouldn’t happen.
From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2021
Several months before he issued his formal proclamation in November 1775, blacks had been escaping to his lines, volunteering their service, and acting as useful guides.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2013
Many legislators felt strongly that Chessman had been escaping justice too long.
From Time Magazine Archive
He followed her down the ladder as if he had been escaping from quicksands.
From The Honorable Percival by Alice Caldwell Hegan Rice
I could not have been in a more distressed state if I had been escaping justice with a price on my head.
From Roughing It, Part 4. by Mark Twain
