straighten
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become straight in direction, form, position, character, conduct, condition, etc. (often followed by up orout ).
had been straightening
-
past perfect progressiveof straighten.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.
Boyd had been straightening out the rent and basting it on a piece of stiff paper.
From The Girls at Mount Morris by Amanda Minnie Douglas
Down the railroad tracks swept a repair squad who had been straightening a switch, their foreman in the lead.
From Peter: a novel of which he is not the hero by Francis Hopkinson Smith
Lois had been straightening Polly's dresser and discovered a note beside the pin cushion.
From Polly's Senior Year at Boarding School by Dorothy Whitehill
I looked up from the table where I had been straightening some magazines.
From People Like That by Kate Langley Bosher
Kendrick, who had been straightening his tie before the glass, now swung around.
From The Profiteers by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim
