subdue
verb (used with object)
to conquer and bring into subjection.
had been subduing
-
past perfect progressiveof subdue.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.
A tremendous revulsion of feeling took possession of him; what he had been subduing for weeks gained supremacy in an instant.
From Nedra by George Barr McCutcheon
For in the year 1651, by Cromwell's command, Captain Dennis, with a squadron of men of war, arrived there from the Caribbee islands, where they had been subduing Bardoes.
From The History of Virginia, in Four Parts by Robert Beverley
