preserve
verb (used with object)
to keep alive or in existence; make lasting.
was preserving
-
past progressiveof preserve.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.
Butyagin told Russian media last year he was "simply doing the work we've devoted our lives to", and that his main goal was preserving monuments.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
The heart of that contract, he said, was preserving the union.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
The government said Google "falsely" told the U.S. in 2019 that it had suspended "auto-deletion" and was preserving chat communications as it was required to do under a federal court rule governing electronically stored information.
From Reuters ● Feb. 23, 2023
More than a third of the executives polled in Deloitte’s 2021 Return to Workplaces survey said the biggest concern about hybrid or remote work was preserving company culture.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 15, 2022
But was preserving the United States worth the deaths of so many, so young?
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
