devote
verb (used with object)
to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc..
was devoting
-
past progressiveof devote.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The first administration was devoting a lot of time to figuring out what were the actual powers the president can use without going back to Congress.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2025
He acknowledged that Ukrainian forces were experiencing “incredibly difficult conditions” in Kursk, but said Russia was devoting vast resources to ejecting them - resources which it would prefer to be using elsewhere.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2024
When it was granted, the board said it meant to “motivate and incentivize” Musk, who was worth $21.5 billion and beset by questions about whether he was devoting enough time to Tesla.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
As the Western alliance’s annual summit opened in Lithuania’s capital on Tuesday, Sunak said Britain was devoting “record amounts” to defense, in part to make its industry “ready for the challenges ahead.”
From Washington Times ● Jul. 11, 2023
Upon his return he gave up his previous research problem and was devoting full time to phage.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
