hand
noun
the terminal, prehensile part of the upper limb in humans and other primates, consisting of the wrist, metacarpal area, fingers, and thumb.
had been handing
-
past perfect progressiveof hand.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.
The bill, they say, brings technical maximum penalties in line with what judges had been handing down all along, and in some cases increases penalties for crimes involving firearms.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2023
He said the centre had been handing out bread.
From Reuters ● Nov. 19, 2022
Richard Salter, from Saint John's Ambulance, said volunteers had been handing out painkillers and even helping someone who fainted.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2022
In Kekait, which was home to several thousand people wedged in a palm-fringed valley between steep hills, displaced residents said state-run agencies had been handing out vital supplies including rice, eggs, dry noodles and water.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 8, 2018
Tamika had been handing me the award—a big scowl on her face—right when I’d been rudely awoken.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
