shelter
noun
something beneath, behind, or within which a person, animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.; refuge.
had been sheltering
-
past perfect progressiveof shelter.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 the town of Standford less than 20 kilometres inland, another Malawian national, Talibo Mbewe, said he had been sheltering at the community hall for two days.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Philippe Lazzarini, the director of UNRWA, wrote on social media that 6,000 Palestinians had been sheltering in the school complex.
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
About 1.5 million had been sheltering there from the fighting elsewhere in Gaza.
From BBC ● May 24, 2024
Two women who spoke with the Associated Press said they were among a number of people that Israeli troops forced to evacuate from a school where they had been sheltering.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
People in the border states, who had been sheltering runaway slaves, helped further the mystery of an underground road.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
