spend
verb (used with object)
to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.).
had been spending
-
past perfect progressiveof spend.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.
A forensic accountant helped determine that he had been spending roughly $20,000 a month on another woman and their child in an apartment for around a decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
Cathy Penrod said in the last two years, her cousin had been spending time at the private Penrod family cemetery in Pinetop, where six generations are buried.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
He said costs had risen and the club had been spending more than it earned for seven seasons.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2025
They had been spending the winter cruising in the Caribbean in their catamaran called Simplicity, which was found abandoned in neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Feb. 21.
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
Connor and I had been spending a lot of time together, so my parents asked me to invite him over for dinner after school.
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
