stockpile
noun
a supply of material, as a pile of gravel in road maintenance.
had been stockpiling
-
past perfect progressiveof stockpile.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.
Residents told AFP they had been stockpiling food, candles, and batteries since Monday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
U.S. officials and Western officials said Prigozhin had been stockpiling weaponry ahead of the mutiny attempt.
From Reuters ● Jun. 28, 2023
Lugo had been stockpiling gifts for Ellie’s birthday on June 4: leggings and Legos.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2022
He said the firm, which produces many of its lines in China, had been stockpiling toys since June to try and avoid a Christmas crisis.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2021
Even before the recession began, companies had been stockpiling cash for decades.
From Newsweek ● Dec. 28, 2010
