wipe
verb (used with object)
to rub lightly with or on a cloth, towel, paper, the hand, etc., in order to clean or dry the surface of.
had been wiping
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past perfect progressiveof wipe.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.
The bartender left a towel stuffed in the glass he had been wiping.
From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko
Across the room, Mia, who had been wiping the countertops, froze.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
There were purple shadows under her brown eyes and he noticed a small sponge in her hand: She had been wiping his face.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
He laid down the book he had been wiping, and stood considering her in silence.
From Summer by Edith Wharton
With this hand I had been wiping my brow, for it was intensely hot.
From An Original Belle by Edward Payson Roe
