hike
verb (used without object)
to walk or march a great distance, especially through rural areas, for pleasure, exercise, military training, or the like.
had been hiking
-
past perfect progressiveof hike.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.
In 2009, the head of state randomly disappeared from Charleston for a week, with his spokesperson telling reporters that the politician had been hiking the Appalachian Trail.
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025
The day before, she had been hiking on the island with her fellow passengers but was not on the ship when it left hours later.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2025
The 29-year old man had been hiking alone on the remote Turbid Lake Trail when he apparently surprised the bear, according to park officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
The man had been hiking the Appalachian Trail.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024
“How far have we traversed?” hollered Reginald when the squad of dogs had been hiking for ten minutes.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
