wash
verb (used with object)
to apply water or some other liquid to (something or someone) for the purpose of cleansing; cleanse by dipping, rubbing, or scrubbing in water or some other liquid.
was washing
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past progressiveof wash.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 word Hallyu in the name of her club means "Korean wave" and Richards said it was a term used to describe how Korean culture was "washing over the West" at the moment.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026
"My brother was washing the car inside the compound when the accident happened," Murib's brother Muhammad Khan told AFP by phone from their hometown of Bannu in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
The attendant was washing a supervisor’s brand-new Commodore; the officers commandeered it, yelling “Big case! Big case!”
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
Mohanty said one of the biggest sources of microplastics in wastewater was washing machines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
Where the water had splashed him, his coat was washing away, leaving...scales?
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
