smother
verb (used with object)
to stifle or suffocate, as by smoke or other means of preventing free breathing.
had been smothering
-
past perfect progressiveof smother.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.
Standing up forward, an arm round a stanchion for a brace, the spray in his face, it seemed as if the cobwebs which had been smothering him were blown away.
From Comrade Yetta by Albert Edwards
Helena stood breathing quickly; it was as if she had been smothering, and suddenly felt free air.
From The Awakening of Helena Richie by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland
When his caller had gone Blake gave way to the hearty laughter he had been smothering, dwelling with keen enjoyment upon the probable result of Bernie's interview with the Chief.
From The Net by Rex Ellingwood Beach
On the long train trip he had been smothering his conscience, feebly awakened by the approaching meeting, the touch of new clothes, and the prospect of a consistently full stomach.
From Garrison's Finish : a romance of the race course by W. B. M. (William Blair Morton) Ferguson
I realised that the starvation and disaster of the siege had made egoists of all those who a few months before had been smothering my father with attention.
From The Memoirs of General Baron De Marbot by Oliver C. Colt
