was orbiting
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past progressiveof orbit.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
orbitnounthe curved path, usually elliptical, taken by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., around a celestial body, as the sun.
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.
That raised some eyebrows, but honestly, we didn’t really know much about Platner other than what was orbiting out of his campaign.
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2025
A satellite asteroid, which the team named "Selam," was orbiting Dinky.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2024
On December 5, the ascent vehicle docked with the orbiter, which was orbiting above the moon while the lander was at work on the surface.
From NewsForKids.net ● Jan. 30, 2024
Although they never officially crossed paths, Drucker was orbiting some of the same spaces as Lovell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
Soviet rocket scientists had just launched the world’s first satellite, Sputnik, a 184-pound aluminum sphere that was orbiting Earth every ninety-six minutes at 18,000 miles per hour.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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