spew
verb (used without object)
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth; vomit.
had been spewing
-
past perfect progressiveof spew.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.
After the engineer left, a small fire broke out in the lead locomotive which had been spewing oil all day.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2023
The operator of a natural gas storage well in Western Pennsylvania says workers have successfully plugged a leak that had been spewing massive amounts of planet-warming methane into the atmosphere for two weeks.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2022
Among the most high-profile failures were the so-called "top kill" and "junk shot" attempts in late May 2010, after the well had been spewing for more than a month.
From Reuters ● Jun. 11, 2013
Emergency workers on Wednesday contained a leak at a water treatment plant in Tennessee that had been spewing millions of gallons of largely untreated sewage into a river.
From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2011
