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had been tightening

  • past perfect progressive of tighten.

Example Sentences

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The regulatory net had been tightening around capturing orcas in the wild, and going out and capturing more orcas wasn’t in the cards.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 17, 2023

Jim Paulsen, chief market strategist at the Leuthold Group, said that financial conditions had been tightening for a while and that inflation was likely to moderate soon.

From New York Times May 31, 2022

Global energy supplies had been tightening for months as economies started to reopen as they relaxed pandemic lockdown measures.

From BBC Mar. 30, 2022

That’s something of a u-turn, as policymakers had been tightening policy as its economy recovered.

From The Guardian Jul. 8, 2021

For some days General Haig's troops had been tightening their grip around Bullecourt, which lies in the original Hindenburg line due east of Croisilles.

From The Story of the Great War, Volume VI (of VIII) History of the European War from Official Sources by Reynolds, Francis J. (Francis Joseph)