had been sharpening
- past perfect progressive of sharpen.
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.
Ben Brantley had been sharpening his knives for so long in anticipation of the day he could review our show, our flesh must have felt like a yielding pat of butter.
From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2013
One unfortunate day, however, she had been sharpening her pencil at the close of the arithmetic lesson, and in the preoccupation of correcting her answers she laid her treasure down, and forgot all about it.
From The New Girl at St. Chad's A Story of School Life by Brazil, Angela
It was his one weapon against her and he had been sharpening it with a vague purpose.
From The Branding Iron by Burt, Katharine Newlin
"Have at you," he returned laughing, "I wist not I had been sharpening weapons against myself."
From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 06 — Fiction by Mee, Arthur
He had been sharpening the knife as Jim talked to the workmen outside.
From Poor White by Anderson, Sherwood
