lick
verb (used with object)
to pass the tongue over the surface of, as to moisten, taste, or eat (often followed by up, off, from, etc.).
was licking
-
past progressiveof lick.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.
Lynagh said he was licking his lips in anticipation of facing Ireland, who were hammered 36-14 by France on Thursday, in Dublin next Saturday.
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
Mateo Retegui - the man whose penalty was saved - was licking his lips at the chance to make up for it by heading into an empty net.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2024
“It was licking our heels on the way out of here,” Rains recalled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2024
The dollar was licking its wounds after its sharpest one- day fall since May, which spurred a 5% rally in oil prices on Monday.
From Reuters ● Aug. 24, 2021
That same day Al Ulbrickson was licking his wounds again.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
