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.
Maclean said the budget was a "small step in the right direction" to addressing concerns by the Fiscal Policy Panel that Jersey had been spending more than it was earning.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Spiegel had been spending more and more time on the glasses and told the team he wanted the brand to feel more adult and high-end, people familiar with the conversations said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 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
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
She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
