spike
noun
a naillike fastener, 3 to 12 inches (7.6 to 30.5 centimeters) long and proportionately thicker than a common nail, for fastening together heavy timbers or railroad track.
was spiking
-
past progressiveof spike.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.
Around 10% of U.S. natural gas production was temporarily knocked out of commission just as demand was spiking, noted strategists at Saxo Bank.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 26, 2026
Although demand for new cars was spiking, manufacturers simply couldn't build them quickly enough.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2025
Another former Airtel resident, Jennifer Blake, said the staff had neglected to send a nurse to check on her, as promised, after she measured her own blood pressure and found it was spiking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2021
The price of hospital masks was spiking across the region, including in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan, where some were selling for as much as 30 times the usual cost.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2020
The economy was sinking, crime was spiking, nuclear war was plausible, divorce rates were soaring and helicopter parenting was anomalous.
From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2020
