had been speculating
- past perfect progressive of speculate.
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.
Dinosaur fans had been speculating about the existence of prehistoric creatures in “The End of Oak Street” for months before the world had any proper confirmation.
From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2026
Wall Street had been speculating about a possible breakup or takeover of PayPal even before this week.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026
Fans had been speculating for days about whether she would perform the track, which is widely believed to be about the end of her relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2024
But when Merchant questioned Bradley on Tuesday, asking whether he remembered telling her certain things, he said he did not, said he had been speculating or said she misinterpreted his messages.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
The boat assignment seemed tangible and undeniable evidence that what the sophomores had been speculating about was true—something was special about them, and Ulbrickson had unusual confidence in them as a unit.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
