Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In one exchange, Kessler reminded Rapino that he had crowed during a 2011 call that Live Nation was bigger than all the promoters in the world combined.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
His captors filmed him there for propaganda purposes and McCain later found out the North Vietnamese had crowed: “We have the crown prince.”
From Washington Times ● Aug. 26, 2018
As if to answer Italian newspapers, which had crowed that the victory belonged to "Italian and German troops," Marshal Rommel remarked dryly: "What we did could have been done only by German troops."
From Time Magazine Archive
Swallowing hard last week were the American Federation of Labor craft unionists who had crowed that Rebel Lewis would come begging them for forgiveness when Steel had brought him to his knees.
From Time Magazine Archive
“You should see this place,” Jordie had crowed to Kaz upon arriving home late that night.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
