stand
verb (used without object)
(of a person) to be in an upright position on the feet.
had been standing
-
past perfect progressiveof stand.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.
As Cunningham protested the call, Wilson walked over to a Fever fan who had been standing in front of his seat in the second row behind the basket and pointing in Wilson’s direction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
"She had to lie on the floor because we had been standing for so long," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
"We spend as many hours as we have to, depending on how much we need it," said Raoni Izaguirre, who had been standing in line for an hour under the blazing sun.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Nomadic Aviation Group, his company, had been standing by for months as Spirit teetered closer to the brink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
A second before, Papa had been standing on the dock above them.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
