handle
noun
a part of a thing made specifically to be grasped or held by the hand.
had been handling
-
past perfect progressiveof handle.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.
Fox has adopted a new split-screen approach to ads during the World Cup’s mandatory hydration breaks, after a stir among viewers over how it had been handling the pauses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
She says, through her lawyer’s court filing, that it’s a bad case because the lawyer who had been handling it has been sanctioned by a federal judge in Maryland over his approach to cases.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
Phillips had been handling signal-calling duties since linebacker and captain Anthony Walker Jr. sustained a season-ending quadriceps injury in Week 3.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2022
Thodex had been handling daily crypto trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars when Turkish authorities raided it last year and six suspects, including company executives, were arrested and later jailed.
From Reuters ● Aug. 30, 2022
The lab employees had been handling tissue and blood from the monkeys, running tests on the material.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
