persuade
verb (used with object)
to prevail on (a person) to do something, as by advising or urging.
was persuading
-
past progressiveof persuade.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.
When Becket was founded, among its challenges was persuading donors and defenders of religious liberty that as a movement they had to defend more than the rights of their own respective groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Harrison says one of his biggest challenges was persuading his sister to take part in the first place.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
The administration said it was persuading, not coercing.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 14, 2023
Before the American Medical Association defined obesity as a disease in 2013, our main challenge was persuading insurance companies to cover the cost of essential treatments, such as weight-loss medications and bariatric surgery.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 5, 2023
The world with all its lands stretching their help-beckoning fingers, was persuading him.
From A Story of One Short Life, 1783 to 1818 by Elisabeth G. Stryker
