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.
Ms Hughes has worked as a cleaner at the Tonteg branch of Best One for several years and had been leaning against the shutters while waiting for the owner to open up earlier this month.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2024
Markets had been leaning towards a pause, although they had priced in a sizeable 40% chance that the RBA would hike by 25 basis points.
From Reuters ● Jun. 6, 2023
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
Ms. Warnock, shaken but calm, tells the police that she had been leaning into the back seat on the passenger side, with the door open, fastening one of the children’s seatbelts.
From New York Times ● Jan. 2, 2021
Porch had been leaning for twenty years, and then just fell down, split clean away from the foundation.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
