protect
verb (used with object)
to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
had been protecting
-
past perfect progressiveof protect.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.
He also apologised to Meghan for initially siding with her father during their long-running estrangement, and said he had "been protecting the wrong person for the past nine years".
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
“It changed everything for me. I had been protecting her by not telling her.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025
The Ukrainian soldiers who had been protecting the hospital had vanished.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2022
The cages that had been protecting the saplings, which were part of a restoration project, had been smashed, the report said.
From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2022
And whatever it was that had been protecting them from the flames was beginning to break.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
