had been unscrewing

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of unscrew.
  unscrew

  verb (used with object)

  to draw or loosen a screw from (a hinge, bracket, etc.).

Related Words

• alleviate
• break up
• ease
• loose
• relax
• slacken
• undo
• unlock
• untie