Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If they can’t agree, the league has been mapping out contingencies that include fast-tracking officials from the collegiate level before the expiration of the current agreement on May 31.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
"This is an ecological ticking time bomb," said Nina Noelle, of Greenpeace Germany, who has been mapping oil tankers in the region.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
But their answers would eventually come from an innovative project that has been mapping rare disease DNA across the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2024
In recent months, Valentine, whose research team had first brought this decades-old issue back into the public consciousness, has been mapping and collecting samples of the seafloor between the Los Angeles coast and Catalina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2023
"You don't mean to tell us," cried Mrs. Polwhele, sitting up stiff in the pew, "that this man has been mapping out the river under your very noses!"
From News from the Duchy by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
