suppress
verb (used with object)
to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.).
had been suppressing
-
past perfect progressiveof suppress.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.
"I have always had a mothering instinct," she says, "but for years I had been suppressing it because it was too painful to go there."
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2025
Some scientists said that such massive figures indicated either that China had been suppressing data for months or that it was trying to make it seem like the outbreak had peaked.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2022
“A lot of people who had been suppressing it no longer felt that they had to suppress it.”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2021
Robinson had been suppressing his rage for as long as he could remember.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2020
The silent laughter he had been suppressing burst out of him, and he laughed so hard that he dropped his crutch.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
