grip
noun
the act of grasping; a seizing and holding fast; firm grasp.
had been gripping
-
past perfect progressiveof grip.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.
As the honor guard entered and the national anthem was sung, participants who had been gripping pictures of their loved ones held them aloft.
From New York Times ● Sep. 11, 2022
The man in black was Sergeant John McAleese - who led the frontal assault that brought a dramatic end to the hostage crisis that had been gripping the nation for six days.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2021
He had been gripping the putter conventionally, but two reasonably good putting grounds to open the tournament were offset by two poor putting rounds that caused him to revert to a claw grip.
From Golf Digest ● Oct. 16, 2013
Luck fever had been gripping the area for weeks.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2011
When she heard him come into the house and close the kitchen door, she realized she had been gripping the windowsill with white fingers.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
