erupt
verb (used without object)
to burst forth.
was erupting
-
past progressiveof erupt.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 arrived in Inglewood, where a cousin lived, in 1992, just as Los Angeles was erupting in protest over the police beating of Rodney King.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2025
Jodi Haryawan, spokesperson for the local search and rescue team, told reporters that it would be "too dangerous" to continue searching while the volcano was erupting.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2023
For about two weeks in December, Hawaii’s biggest volcano, Mauna Loa, also was erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
One solution mooted to put an end to such attacks would be to ban short selling, which regulators did in 2008 as the financial crisis was erupting.
From New York Times ● May 4, 2023
There was even a volcano on that island and while I was there it was erupting!
From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac
