overhaul
verb (used with object)
to make necessary repairs on; restore to serviceable condition.
had been overhauling
-
past perfect progressiveof overhaul.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.
His focus had been overhauling the country’s Soviet-legacy law enforcement system to stamp out corruption and provide better service.
From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2023
He had been overhauling a bathroom at the deli across the street, and popped in to see if fresh work loomed.
From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2010
The division never had been in such a position to protect its winter traffic—for a year Callahan, Blood, and Glover had been overhauling and assembling the old and the new bucking equipment.
From The Daughter of a Magnate by Frank H. (Frank Hamilton) Spearman
It did not take long to find the very articles she was after; evidently Oliphant had been overhauling them on that last excursion from his room.
From Literary Love-Letters and Other Stories by Robert Herrick
I thought our cargo had shifted a little in the late gale, and I had been overhauling it.
From The Ruined Cities of Zululand by Hugh Mulleneux Walmsley
