war
noun
a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation; warfare, as by land, sea, or air.
had been warring
-
past perfect progressiveof war.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.
Détente with Iraqi Kurdistan has gone hand in hand with a relaxation of tensions between Ankara and its own Kurdish population with which it had been warring for decades.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2010
The Morros had been warring against the authority of Spain, and causing the Spanish troops much trouble.
From A Soldier in the Philippines by Needom N. Freeman
Young in his knowledge of the people against whom he had been warring for eighteen months, the Intelligence officer was exceedingly puzzled at the strange anomaly presented by the Africander girl he had just left.
From On the Heels of De Wet by Lionel James
Traders all: this one bond of traffic and gain blending into a sort of family races and creeds the most discordant, and types whose forefathers had been warring with each other for centuries.
From That Boy Of Norcott's by Charles James Lever
Matthew Paris While Simon had been warring with Gascon rebels affairs in England had been going from bad to worse.
From History of the English People, Volume II The Charter, 1216-1307; The Parliament, 1307-1400 by John Richard Green
