percolate
verb (used with object)
to cause (a liquid) to pass through a porous body; filter.
was percolating
-
past progressiveof percolate.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.
The Vietnam War was percolating, and there were student demonstrations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025
All the while, she was percolating ideas for her album.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2019
“There was always a kind of ending that was unpleasant that was percolating under the surface of his songs,” Lyonne says, “even at their most upbeat and certainly at their darkest.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2019
After all, nobody knew this reservoir of Guinea worm disease was percolating below the radar in central Africa precisely because nobody had bothered to look.
From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2018
Then I headed off to Mrs. Windermere’s, where I knew the coffee was percolating.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
