spread
verb (used with object)
to draw, stretch, or open out, especially over a flat surface, as something rolled or folded (often followed byout ).
had been spreading
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past perfect progressiveof spread.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.
Ahead of the mass departure from Fnideq, a rumour had been spreading that the border to the Spanish exclave would be open, alongside images of young people arriving by foot or swimming.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
Cipriani, a self-professed fixer, whistleblower and professional gambler who had been spreading innuendo about Shell on social media, according to court filings in a continuing legal dispute between the men.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
By then the disease had been spreading for weeks, if not months, making containment to one state impossible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2025
Campaign group River Action argued that the Environment Agency had not been tough enough on farmers who it said had been spreading too much chicken manure on their fields.
From BBC ● May 24, 2024
Perhaps more striking than the racial integration of the female mathematicians, which had been spreading organically throughout Langley for years, was the fact that a group focused on computing now employed increasing numbers of men.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
