miss
verb (used with object)
to fail to hit or strike.
had been missing
-
past perfect progressiveof miss.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.
George Smyth, a University of Bristol student from Shropshire, had been missing since 23 November in the Bucegi mountains, despite daily searches, Brașov Mountain Rescue said.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The morning of Alfonzo’s debut, his sister and stepmother, who had been missing since two powerful earthquakes devastated Venezuela last month, were found dead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
She checked with the sender, who confirmed the ring had been missing for more than a month, and it has now been returned.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
While scientists had long suspected that these integrations occurred far in the past, direct genetic evidence had been missing until now.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 7, 2026
And Mom would never have to find out that it had been missing.
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
