rumble
verb (used without object)
to make a deep, heavy, somewhat muffled, continuous sound, as thunder.
had been rumbling
-
past perfect progressiveof rumble.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 crack of the bat echoed the thunder that had been rumbling outside of the roofed ballpark for much of the afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
That meeting between Pritchard and Streeting was the natural conclusion of changes which had been rumbling on in the corridors of power for some time.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2025
Sheriff Norman McFadyen said he was concerned the case had been "rumbling on for a very long time" and Mr Rossi's refusal to be transported to court "does not bode well".
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2023
Its cultural effect, however, would be seismic and, as this new series shows, the forces that gave rise to it had been rumbling for a long time.
From The Guardian ● May 31, 2012
All this was happening, you will note, just downwind of a volcano that had been rumbling menacingly for two months.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
