employ
verb (used with object)
to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service.
was employing
-
past progressiveof employ.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 cow was always earmarked to be processed as beef, so Lee said the art collective was employing an extreme way to offer people a chance to change course ahead of time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Powell recalled how his mother was intent on testifying before Congress to clear her name and shine a light on the bullying tactics that the government was employing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2025
He was employing Lake at his private company at the time, he said, and they’d had “many conversations where I was looking out for her financial interests.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
Her employer, a woman in her 60s who declined to be named because she was employing someone without a work permit, said Ms. Cauro felt like part of the family.
From New York Times ● Jun. 28, 2023
Between Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Hanford, and other secret labs around the country, the Manhattan Project was employing more than 300,000 people.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
