scratch
verb (used with object)
to break, mar, or mark the surface of by rubbing, scraping, or tearing with something sharp or rough.
had been scratching
-
past perfect progressiveof scratch.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.
In other words, Nicola Sturgeon left behind an unhappy party and the electorate had been scratching its head.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2024
After we hung up, I noticed I had been scratching a bug bite on my leg that I did not know about before the call.
From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2021
Jayawardene, who had been scratching around for runs, is run out at the non-striker's end after Jadhav drive flicks the heel of Kumar's boot in his follow-through and rattles into the stumps.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 17, 2013
Friendly, 59-year-old Scottie, with a nose as bulbous as one of his own gnomish ink faces, had been scratching pictures to amuse himself ever since he was a boy in the slums of Glasgow.
From Time Magazine Archive
A sore at the corner of his mouth looked angry and red, like he had been scratching at the scab.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
