howl
verb (used without object)
to utter a loud, prolonged, mournful cry, as that of a dog or wolf.
had been howling
-
past perfect progressiveof howl.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.
Aesthetes had been howling about the Freedom 250 set, a soaring, 92-foot tall structure which resembled one of those arcade machine claws in which you try and fail to grab a stuffed hippopotamus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
When darkness fell, the storm had been howling for hours.
From Time Magazine Archive
All this time the wind had been howling and the sea dashing fiercely against the rocks; indeed, the elements were in perfect accordance with the mad strife going forward on that isolated spot of earth.
From The Three Midshipmen by Victor Prout
Jack said the dogs had been howling around the place for many nights and that always presaged a death in the family.
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Indiana Narratives by Work Projects Administration
Although some of these very men had been howling like maniacs a short time before, yet they now were as quiet, and gentle, and amiable as lambs.
From Among the Brigands by James De Mille
