scrub
verb (used with object)
to rub hard with a brush, cloth, etc., or against a rough surface in washing.
was scrubbing
-
past progressiveof scrub.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.
In town, Grant Trask, a retired fisherman in a hooded sweatshirt, was scrubbing potatoes he dug up from the garden of the bed-and-breakfast he runs with his wife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
“Whether I was scrubbing floors, playing football, doing banking — whatever it was, be the best I can be at it. That was always the standard for my brothers and I.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
We heard that grocery stores were wiping their shelves, carts, and baskets and that New York was scrubbing down its subway cars.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2021
She was scrubbing the floor because she was a young part-timer at what was then Zantigo Restaurant, and that’s what you do when you’re a part-timer at a fast food joint.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 12, 2017
His mother was scrubbing the bathtub and picking up all the boats that Sam had been sailing during his bath.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
