steam
noun
water in the form of an invisible gas or vapor.
had been steaming
-
past perfect progressiveof steam.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.
Even before the hearing began, lawmakers had been steaming.
From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
One by one, the 20 or 25 Communist bloc ships that had been steaming through the South China Sea toward North Viet Nam changed course.
From Time Magazine Archive
Reporter Seidenfaden, like many another Dane, was curious about a long line of Nazi warships, mine sweepers, transports which had been steaming slowly through the Great Belt all day.
From Time Magazine Archive
On April 20 the Amethyst had been steaming up the Yangtse River on a routine mission to Nanking.
From Time Magazine Archive
We had been steaming against a strong gale the whole time.
From The Narrative of a Blockade-Runner by John Wilkinson
