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.
New Zealand had ducked and dived to minimise the effect of South Africa's set-piece supremacy.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Jonathan, 40, a balloon artist who runs an event business, had ducked out to a matinee of “The Odyssey.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
For months, Mr. Biden’s aides had ducked questions about whether he would travel to Africa during a busy election year.
From New York Times ● May 23, 2024
My companion and I had ducked into a dark, wood-and-tile bar somewhere in Madrid, Spain, after a long afternoon of art museums and wandering.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2023
She averted her eyes as she limped past the wall of the gymnasium where a few mothers had ducked out of the afternoon PTA meeting to smoke.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
