inquire
verb (used without object)
to seek information by questioning; ask.
had been inquiring
-
past perfect progressiveof inquire.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.
Institutions, collectors and researchers from both the Americas and Europe had been inquiring about the manuscript recently because of its rarity.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
Kavanaugh said she didn't save a copy of the Kumar report, nor did she forward it to anyone at United or to officials at Penn State who had been inquiring about the McNaughton case.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2023
Gauthier quoted Dutoit as saying he would not speak to her for the story when he learned she had been inquiring about his reputation.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2017
Then, last summer, to help a friend with cancer, she sold Capote's typewriter to local collector Steve Soboroff, who had been inquiring about it for years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2014
She had been inquiring in vain for Miss Curran’s address—you should have referred her to me for it, but you referred her to me for nothing.
From The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume II (of 2) by Florence A. Thomas Marshall
