had been rifting

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of rift.
  rift

  noun

  an opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc.; fissure; cleft; chink.

Related Words

• breach
• clash
• disagreement
• division
• estrangement
• misunderstanding
• quarrel
• rupture
• schism
• split