sharpen
verb (used with or without object)
had been sharpening
-
past perfect progressiveof sharpen.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.
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
It was his one weapon against her and he had been sharpening it with a vague purpose.
From The Branding Iron by Katharine Newlin Burt
"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 Arthur Mee
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 Angela Brazil
Have at you," he returned laughing, "I knew not I had been sharpening weapons agaynst myself.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol III, No 13, 1851 by Various
