pursue
verb (used with object)
to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, etc.; chase.
had been pursuing
-
past perfect progressiveof pursue.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.
The Coast Guard had been pursuing the vessel for two weeks on an odyssey that began near Venezuela and ended south of Iceland, U.S. officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
Ten former clients who are part of the performers' union Equity, including Thea, had been pursuing civil legal action against him to retrieve nearly £40,000, but it dropped the case after he declared himself bankrupt.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2024
Meruelo had been pursuing a tract of land in north Phoenix to build it.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2024
MP said that “in recent weeks” it had started refining small amounts of its own rare earths in California, a goal the company had been pursuing for more than three years.
From Reuters ● Aug. 3, 2023
Perhaps Vaughan, blind to his friend’s machinations, had mentioned the investigation that he had been pursuing and confided the location of the hideout containing his money and evidence.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
