drown
verb (used without object)
to die under water or other liquid of suffocation.
was drowning
-
past progressiveof drown.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.
Spirit was Boeing’s sole-source supplier for nearly all the products Spirit sold to it, and Spirit itself was drowning in losses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
So I swam laps, thinking that having my head under might help, but it only made me feeling like I was drowning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025
“It has drained away that fluid of grief that was drowning me, killing me,” he tells Myrna, who politely declines his invitation for a second date.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2025
At one point I thought I was drowning.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2024
It’s like I was drowning and I didn’t even know.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
