subsist
verb (used without object)
to exist; continue in existence.
had been subsisting
-
past perfect progressiveof subsist.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.
So far, they had been subsisting on snacks sent through a narrower pipe inserted earlier.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2023
As opposed to Mr. Marin-Sotelo, who managed to make all the way to Mexico’s Pacific coastline, Mr. Callahan had less of a plan, and had been subsisting off local river water.
From Washington Times ● May 9, 2023
A vegetarian since reading Frances Moore Lappé’s "Diet for a Small Planet" in 1971, he had been subsisting on vegetables and homemade “soy grit” burgers.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2020
The prisoners said that they had been subsisting for weeks on less than half a pound of rice a day; for the last three days before their capture, they had had no food whatsoever.
From Time Magazine Archive
It was a great improvement for them, and Mrs. Goldstein's cooking was less expensive and more nourishing than the restaurant fare on which they had been subsisting.
From Comrade Yetta by Albert Edwards
