had been joking
- past perfect progressive of joke.
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.
Armstrong later clarified that he had been joking and hadn’t traded mentions on the call himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
Caldwell responded he had been joking or exaggerating in his original missives, or sharing things he heard from others.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2022
“I had been joking for many years that I was the Mexican curling team,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2022
Downing Street later suggested he had been joking.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2022
I know Mom had been joking in our backyard, but that’s how I would have imagined them in the end—lying side by side in our garden bed together.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
