prepare
verb (used with object)
to put in proper condition or readiness.
had been preparing
-
past perfect progressiveof prepare.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.
They invited their friends and family to sponsor the native perennials they had been preparing to plant since they bought their Del Rey home in 2021.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Cooper and military planners at the Pentagon had been preparing for potential strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, according to two U.S. officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Family members said Loera-Zarco was pregnant, and the couple had been preparing to welcome their baby boy next Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Godlove was hospitalized several times for exhaustion and died in 1954 before finishing the thousands of color definitions he had been preparing for Webster’s Third.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
She had been preparing a new bed in the garden, enjoying the rare quiet of an empty house.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
