Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Monday’s report, California water officials noted that some areas where land had been sinking saw a rebound as users pumped less groundwater since more surface water was available following the rains.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2024
Corcoran had been sinking, steadily, for years because of persistent overpumping of groundwater by major landowners in the Tulare Lake Basin that has sent the valley floor into a slow-motion collapse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
Populations had been sinking for years, but they plummeted after the spill and spate of hurricanes.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 24, 2018
All this time railing against the flaws of the place, criticising its famous art scene – for a living – it had been sinking tendrils of belonging in me.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 4, 2015
The world’s wind had been sinking, and the driving sleet of the storm had given way to a chill, ragged, thickening mist.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
