develop
verb (used with object)
to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state.
had developed
-
past perfectof develop.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Early in his career, he had developed an investment strategy based on the idea that there were patterns in markets, and that they didn’t behave completely randomly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The company had developed the Hydromax car in an attempt to set a new record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology had developed methods sensitive enough to detect very small amounts of RNA in bacterial cells.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
In his first police interview, Bush said he had developed a cash-flow problem because "people did not always pay," and he had debts of about £90,000.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
I believed he was naturally a man of better tendencies, higher principles, and purer tastes than such as circumstances had developed, education instilled, or destiny encouraged.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
