Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I didn't feel an immediate physical threat. No one was knocking on my door, I wasn't jailed or tortured."
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
“But yeah, I was knocking down shots and kind of just getting my rhythm and kept shooting. So when they’re falling, they’re falling.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
But the tradeoff was knocking down the cancer to the point it’s undetectable.
From Salon ● May 21, 2025
"Last night I was knocking on doors... people were saying we want grown-up adult politics," she said.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2025
She was knocking sheets of water high in the bright sun, charging with her fur up and her long teeth bared, filling the canyon with that awful coughing roar.
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
