import
verb (used with object)
to bring in (merchandise, commodities, workers, etc.) from a foreign country for use, sale, processing, reexport, or services.
was importing
-
past progressiveof import.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.
Waller had obliged, insinuating Warsh was importing outside authority to ratify long-held views and dressing them up as discovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
A recent Bloomberg report found that Russia was importing more than 90% of its sanctioned technology from China, a 10% increase on the previous year.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
Bonhomie between Bessent and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi couldn’t disguise the headaches that the Iran war is causing for Japan, which was importing 80% of its oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
Pizza Hut was importing something totally new: a casual, sit-down restaurant that served a quality meal for a reasonable price.
From Slate ● Nov. 13, 2025
Such an embargo might well be fatal to Great Britain, for at this time she was importing munitions, especially shells, in enormous quantities from the United States.
From The Life and Letters of Walter H. Page, Volume I by Burton Jesse Hendrick
