undertake
verb (used with object)
to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
had been undertaking
-
past perfect progressiveof undertake.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.
He told the BBC that his wife had travelled to Egypt to look after her elderly, sick mother, who had been undertaking 18-hour round trips to take food to el-Shazly's two brothers in detention.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Moustapha told the BBC that his wife had travelled to Egypt to look after her elderly, sick mother, who had been undertaking 18-hour round-trips to take food to el-Shazly's two brothers in detention.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
While he did not see the egg, our correspondent said the King had been undertaking one of his trademark walkabouts "friendly, close up and with lots of handshakes and a sea of camera phones".
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2022
That lawmaker, Andrii Derkach, had been undertaking what the U.S.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 24, 2020
He had other hobbies, however, of a more literary nature, and of late he had been undertaking too freely some work appertaining to "the schooling and education of children."
From The Life of John Milton Volume 3 1643-1649 by David Masson
