roll
verb (used without object)
to move along a surface by revolving or turning over and over, as a ball or a wheel.
had been rolling
-
past perfect progressiveof roll.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.
Early on Sunday, Glasnow had been rolling, stranding four runners over his first three innings before striking out the side in the fourth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2025
He also appears to have exhausted business losses he had been rolling over year after year to reduce his taxable income.
From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2022
The Kraken had been rolling out the same defensive pairings comprised of one left-handed shot and one right, with encouraging results.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022
The Tide had been rolling along on both offense and defense and was coming off a 41-0 win over Mississippi State.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 19, 2020
That the ride I’d stepped onto seven months earlier had been rolling toward that moment of emptiness in front of the church sure as a runaway train on a clear stretch of track.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
