strive
verb (used without object)
to exert oneself vigorously; try hard.
had been striving
-
past perfect progressiveof strive.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.
Without any products on the market, Fulcrum Therapeutics had been striving to commercialize its experimental drug for sickle cell disease, but those plans appear to now be on hold.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
“We had been living calmly before this war, we had been working, we had … achieved something, had been striving to do something — and now what?” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022
In the end, he concludes that Steinbeck’s verdict in the 1950s remains true today — that despite our regional and cultural differences, we are “all what Washington had been striving to create: Americans.”
From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2021
“I had been striving to be authentic in a world where the choreographic deity, Balanchine, was dead,” she said.
From New York Times ● Oct. 3, 2014
She would finally be the registered nurse she had been striving toward for years.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
