thaw
verb (used without object)
to pass or change from a frozen to a liquid or semiliquid state; melt.
had been thawing
-
past perfect progressiveof thaw.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.
It might seem odd, to arrange an outing to a dictatorship, but at the time of the school trip, east-west relations had been thawing a little.
From The Guardian ● May 11, 2019
It had been thawing for days, but the night had fallen clear and cold.
From In the Days of Poor Richard by Irving Bacheller
The snow was thick on the ground outside, and it had been thawing all the afternoon.
From An American Politician by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford
Mr. Carmyle, who since the waiter's departure, had been thawing, stiffened again at the mention of Ginger.
From The Adventures of Sally by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
It had been thawing and freezing, freezing and thawing, for so long that men lost account of the advance of a summer coming, with such balked, uncertain steps.
From The Magnetic North by Elizabeth Robins
