lift
verb (used with object)
to move or bring (something) upward from the ground or other support to a higher position; hoist.
had been lifting
-
past perfect progressiveof lift.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 Bank of England had been lifting interest rates to put the brakes on inflation but has kept them at 5.25% since August last year.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2024
He had been lifting a lot, but we just didn’t see that coming for him at all.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2023
Ben, a stocker who had been lifting heavy objects at the store for more than a decade, told me that sometimes his feet swelled up so badly that he could barely walk.
From Slate ● Apr. 26, 2021
Several weeks later, Kampmann said, his father came home from work to discover Kershaw in the basement with Bobby, where the boy had been lifting weights.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 15, 2017
He had been lifting weights and looked like a professional bodybuilder.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
