preach
verb (used with object)
to proclaim or make known by sermon (the gospel, good tidings, etc.).
had been preaching
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past perfect progressiveof preach.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.
It was the fewest points the Lakers had scored in a playoff win since 1991 — a real celebration of the banshee stuff the coaches had been preaching for months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
He said the pastor had been preaching about bad churches — not bad women — and that the local media had parroted the government’s mischaracterization.
From New York Times ● Oct. 7, 2019
The couple had been preaching around Linfen since 1992, establishing congregations in improvised spaces such as factory dormitories and greenhouses.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 11, 2018
This is what the Washington Capitals had been preaching: getting pucks and bodies to the net.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 5, 2015
In addition to attending protests over the murder at the Duke Chapel, he began reading about a branch of Catholicism called “liberation theology,” which Archbishop Romero had been preaching.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
