take
verb (used with object)
to get into one's hold or possession by voluntary action.
had been taking
-
past perfect progressiveof take.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.
Last year, many filers who had been taking the standard deduction returned to itemizing due to the expanded deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Researchers found that people who had been taking digoxin and then had to stop experienced significantly more problems during the first six weeks compared with people who had never taken the drug.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Earlier in the day a peaceful anti-racism protest had been taking place at Glasgow Green before anti-immigration protesters arrived at the same location - police estimated 1,700 people had attended.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Anyway, she had not gone through male puberty, which theoretically might have endowed her with a competitive advantage, because she had been taking puberty blockers and female hormones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Yesterday, when his father had been taking his afternoon nap, Fadi had double-checked the trunk from the inside, making sure the safety release worked properly.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
