wade
verb (used without object)
to walk in water, when partially immersed.
had been wading
-
past perfect progressiveof wade.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 had been wading through a swamp of debt for some time and now couldn't pay off the interest on his credit cards.
From BBC ● May 22, 2023
He said he had been wading through waist-deep floodwater, filthy with garbage, for three days in an attempt to find his son.
From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2017
It had been wading through treacle over the past months.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 18, 2013
For three days and nights he had been wading in water and struggling in mud, and exhausting all his resources of mind and character in efforts to stimulate the men to continued endeavor.
From A Captain in the Ranks A Romance of Affairs by George Cary Eggleston
Poor Daddy was dragged from the swift water into which he had been wading and placed in the bottom of the dory, a most damp and smelly ambulance.
From Sweetapple Cove by George Van Schaick
