engineer
noun
a person trained and skilled in the design, construction, and use of engines or machines, or in any of various branches of engineering.
was engineering
-
past progressiveof engineer.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.
He was engineering it, on terms that made progress possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
He didn't want to be there and he was engineering his way out, that was the tone of the story.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025
Katy Milkman: My passion was engineering, but I found myself outside of the classroom wondering about self-control problems that I had and that my friends had.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2020
Dr. Doty noticed that when she was engineering her poplars, other bacteria in the plant tissue seemed to be contaminating the results.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2020
“We went to Jarabacoa,” Minerva reminded Manolo in a tight voice that suggested she disapproved of the reconciliation he was engineering.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
