increase
verb (used with object)
to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality; augment; add to.
had been increasing
-
past perfect progressiveof increase.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 group had been increasing their production quotas through most of last year, but paused those increases for the first quarter of 2026 due to concerns about a global supply surplus.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026
He said youth unemployment was a "big problem that needs to be dealt with" but it had been increasing for "a very long time" and equalised rates had not even come in yet.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Rates had been increasing by 2% to 3% a year, but they jumped by 8% in January 2023, another 5% in July 2023 and 10% last January.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2024
Gonorrhea had been increasing steadily after a historical low in 2009, but appeared to decline in 2022, dropping to about 648,000 cases from more than 700,000 the year before.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
By now, the screams—which had been increasing in volume had brought Mr. Vendleri.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
