unload
verb (used with object)
to take the load from; remove the cargo or freight from.
had been unloading
-
past perfect progressiveof unload.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.
Authorities say the man in his late 20s had been unloading large diameter plastic pipe from his semi-truck trailer when a piece fell and struck him.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 25, 2016
An Egyptian cargo ship, that had been unloading cement when war overtook the port, was still surrounded by bags of cement, opened and untouched.
From Time Magazine Archive
Like other dealers, Bert had been unloading his stock as fast as he could, even at a loss.
From Time Magazine Archive
Kermode had been unloading rails all day, and he was standing on the veranda one evening when a supply train from the east was due.
From Prescott of Saskatchewan by W. Herbert Dunton
Happily the Technologian, who had been unloading steel at the construction camp, had been told of the arrest, and when Winton reached the station he found his assistant waiting for him.
From A Fool for Love by Francis Lynde
