expand
verb (used with object)
to increase in extent, size, volume, scope, etc..
had been expanding
-
past perfect progressiveof expand.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.
Walmart had been expanding its tech hubs across the United States and Canada over the past few years.
From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
In the book, Holder recalled that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had been expanding voting opportunities since the day it was signed, with Congress reauthorizing the act to ensure that progress continued.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2022
Its rapid economic decline has been all the more shocking because before the crisis the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 17, 2022
The shortages have sown despair among Sri Lanka’s 22 million people and were all the more shocking because before the recent crisis, the economy had been expanding and a comfortable middle class growing.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2022
The network of buildings had been expanding every year, until now it covered some hundred miles of the planet's surface.
From Heart by Henry Slesar
