had been splintering

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of splinter.
  splinter

  noun

  a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, bone, or the like, split or broken off from the main body.

Related Words

• disintegrate
• fracture
• rive
• shatter
• smash
• split