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.
Henderson created Siren Head in 2018 when he was painting original horror characters at night and working retail jobs during the day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Last month, the head of its US operations formally responded to the complaints with an open letter to customers, saying social media was painting an inaccurate picture.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2024
Harlem-born, she’d had a classical art education, was teaching art in public school, and was painting what she herself described as Impressionist-style landscapes.
From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024
One day I was painting his portrait, of when he was really young.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2023
She was painting her nails and messing them pretty badly when William went in and he knew she was bagged and Dora wouldn’t let a bagged girl work.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
