locate
verb (used with object)
to identify or discover the place or location of.
had been locating
-
past perfect progressiveof locate.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 main goal of the police during the operation had been "locating and returning the children safely" Det Sup McKay said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2025
The RSF, meanwhile, had been locating more and more gunmen at Soba and other camps across Khartoum, the same military sources said.
From Reuters ● Apr. 28, 2023
The party had recently returned from the front, where they had been locating a line of new road since earliest spring.
From Campmates A Story of the Plains by Kirk Munroe
All day they had been locating homeless flood victims, rescuing stock, and dragging farm implements above the water-line.
From The Reclaimers by Margaret Hill McCarter
