return
verb (used without object)
to go or come back, as to a former place, position, or state: to return to public office;
have been returning
-
present perfect progressiveof return.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
He has patients in their 80s and 90s who have been returning for years because in the U.S. their insurance was expensive, the coverage was limited and out-of-pocket expenses were unaffordable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2026
Meanwhile, growth has been recovering, supported by three interest-rate cuts since February, while consumers have been returning to the shops as household incomes are supported by income-tax cuts and rising wages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
As I try to make sense of this sick yearning and poisoned nostalgia, I have been returning to the work of the highly influential social psychologist and psychoanalyst Erich Fromm.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2024
The brothers, who have about 60 balloons as part of Bristol Balloon Collectors, have been returning the balloon to its former glory, including retouching its paintwork.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2023
If the hinges had squeaked just now, he must have been returning from a second trip.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
