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
But then came the replay: Randazzo had ducked and covered as if he were doing an earthquake drill, before safely retrieving the ball after it had landed.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025
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
By the time he slashed, Hazel had ducked between his legs and jabbed her Imperial gold blade into his gluteus maximus.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
