withstand
verb (used with object)
to stand or hold out against; resist or oppose, especially successfully: to withstand the invaders;
had been withstanding
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past perfect progressiveof withstand.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.
Vitaliy Barabash, head of the military administration in Avdiivka, said the shattered eastern city was bracing for a new wave of the attacks it had been withstanding since mid-October.
From Reuters ● Oct. 31, 2023
They already had been withstanding the drain of the enormous fields of the giant planet and the giant sun; the attractive ray was an added strain.
From Invaders from the Infinite by John Wood Campbell
