lock
noun
a device for securing a door, gate, lid, drawer, or the like in position when closed, consisting of a bolt or system of bolts propelled and withdrawn by a mechanism operated by a key, dial, etc.
had been locking
-
past perfect progressiveof lock.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.
Mr Byrne said he had been locking up his conservatory doors when he noticed something move through a set of blinds at the window.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2023
Nearby, freshman Tiana Lopez said her brother, Peter, a football player at Kent-Meridian, had been locking himself in the bathroom over the past few weeks to practice his gospel-choir parts.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 15, 2018
For months, the computer system had been locking up, producing what the crew deemed the “blue screen of death.”
From New York Times ● Jul. 23, 2010
We had been locking horns with senior U.S. officials for years by that point.
From Newsweek
Until recently, on nights when couples wanted a cabin after our singles were full, we had been locking off the back bedroom of double cabins and renting the remainder of each as a single.
From Four and Twenty Beds by Nancy Vogel
