Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, blamed a lack of production capacity but Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said allies had been stepping this up.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2024
On Wednesday, the leaders of the House Homeland Security Committee said the Transportation Security Administration had been stepping up its enforcement of the mandate, issuing 2,310 warnings and 199 penalty notices.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2021
No One Left Behind had been stepping in to rescue people.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 16, 2021
Spring training was less than a week away, and Lincecum had been stepping up his workouts.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2011
There was a willow-grove beside the wall, and Bod almost ran into Miss Euphemia Horsfall and Tom Sands, who had been stepping out together for many years.
From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman
