lean
verb (used without object)
to incline or bend from a vertical position.
had been leaning
-
past perfect progressiveof lean.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.
She said she had been leaning against the shutters when the shop owner opened them from the inside.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2024
Markets had been leaning towards a pause, but economists were split on the outcome, with 20 out of 36 polled by Reuters expecting a hike and the rest forecasting the bank to stand pat.
From Reuters ● Aug. 1, 2023
General manager Trent Baalke had been leaning toward Walker for months and insisted new coach Doug Pederson was totally in agreement on selecting the former Bulldogs defender at No. 1.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
And while many of them had been leaning toward resigning in the aftermath of Fried’s original post, the meeting itself pushed several to accelerate their decisions, employees said.
From The Verge ● May 3, 2021
California fans who had been leaning over the railing as the boats passed below insisted that the nose of the Cal boat had gone under the bridge first, by three feet at least.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
