help
verb (used with object)
to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist.
had been helping
-
past perfect progressiveof help.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.
President Trump told reporters Monday that the U.S. had been helping an average of 30 ships a night get through the Strait of Hormuz and that the waterway was open.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Iranian crude had been helping ease the market in meeting demand so far, Handjani told AFP, warning the blockade now threatens that fragile balance.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
The latest release of files also appears to suggest that Epstein had been helping Sarah Ferguson - Andrew's ex-wife and the former Duchess of York - financially for 15 years.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
Hopes of another rate cut had been helping to fuel stock-market gains until the market’s sharp pullback this week.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025
It was all Poseidon, she said, and indeed the Sea-god had been helping the Greeks contrary to Zeus’s orders, but only because she had begged him.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
