lurk
verb (used without object)
to lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively.
had been lurking
-
past perfect progressiveof lurk.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.
Markets were largely anticipating the decision, given how oral arguments in the case had played out, and it removed an ongoing overhang that had been lurking in the background.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
"I remember something that had been lurking in the back of my brain for a very long time," the Queen told them.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025
On Wednesday, after neighbors told him that immigration agents had been lurking around the area, he warned families against attending a regularly scheduled in-person church service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025
The victim and nearby witnesses described the assailant as a curly-haired young man in dark clothing who had been lurking near the encampment.
From New York Times ● May 4, 2023
Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
