nod
verb (used without object)
to make a slight, quick downward bending forward of the head, as in assent, greeting, or command.
had nodded
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past perfectof nod.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.
Ned succeeded his own father, Fidelity’s founder, as chairman and had nodded in approval as Abby climbed toward the family business’s top job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
It was the late 1980s, and Drinks, who was 15 and the oldest of three boys, had nodded off after taking his youngest brother to school.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 19, 2023
Nearly half a century ago in the landmark Bakke decision of 1978, Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. had nodded approvingly at Harvard's admissions system, holding it up as a model.
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2022
There was no response from her kids, who had nodded off to sleep.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2022
“Stay as long as you like,” she had said, and Joaquin had nodded.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
