tell
verb (used with object)
to give an account or narrative of; narrate; relate (a story, tale, etc.).
had been telling
-
past perfect progressiveof tell.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.
She said she had been receiving messages all day from her fans who had been telling her, “Wow, my eyes have been opened.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But it was Weir who spoke of how important it was that the production, which he likened to an opera, fit into the story the Dead had been telling for six decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026
What I could say for sure is that it was about half an hour slower than ChatGPT had been telling me that I could run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025
"We then found out he had been telling people he runs the NTA party," said Kate.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2025
As I had been telling the renter the story, he kept nodding his head and looking at my face.
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
