turn
verb (used with object)
to cause to move around on an axis or about a center; rotate.
had been turning
-
past perfect progressiveof turn.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.
Montreal’s Claude Lemieux and Shayne Corson had been firing pucks into the empty net at the end of warmups, toying with the Flyers goalies, who had been turning the net around to prevent it.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
Surveys of under-18s suggested they were rejecting the idea of using vapes as resolutely as they had been turning away from smoking.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2023
The aircraft, which had been turning toward the gate, went 30 feet off the pavement into snow, according to CNN.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 4, 2023
Before the pandemic, Boeing had been turning out 14 of the planes per month, but production had fallen amid the recent pause.
From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2022
I’d thought Anna May had been turning into a friend, but apparently, I wasn’t well-suited enough for her.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
