grow
verb (used without object)
to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.
had been growing
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past perfect progressiveof grow.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.
Permian gas production increased during the first half of the year at less than half the rate it had been growing the past few years, according to Bank of America analysts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The company had been growing quickly in the U.S., where it produces about 1 million barrels per day in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
“Because of the large ovarian cyst that had been growing for years, it could have been a false positive, even ovarian cancer,” Lopez said of her pregnancy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
Job losses exacerbated a health care crisis that had been growing for decades.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025
The gulf between us had been growing all summer.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
