guard
verb (used with object)
to keep safe from harm or danger; protect; watch over.
had been guarding
-
past perfect progressiveof guard.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.
What Telluride had been guarding so carefully was “You Can See Everything,” a nearly three-hour documentary about convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, co-directed by Fielder and documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
State police had been guarding the two-story house, which sits on the intersection of a speedy country highway — Route 9N — and an interconnected triangle of local roads, all offering getaways.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2023
One resident told the BBC that Taliban fighters had been guarding the street and that the presence of "non-Afghan residents" was common knowledge among locals.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2022
But people had been guarding their precious spots at the gate for days.
From New York Times ● Nov. 7, 2021
Firemen were instantly summoned by the four policemen who had been guarding the sidewalk entrance to the mosque.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
