accumulate
verb (used with object)
to gather or collect, often in gradual degrees; heap up.
were accumulating
-
past progressiveof accumulate.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.
Many of these alterations repeatedly appeared in the same five cancer driver genes, suggesting that microglia were accumulating mutations in a specific set of genes.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
The division said heavy coatings of black ash were causing leaves to droop in palm oil plantations near the volcano and were accumulating on roofs.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2023
Arm also told investors its royalty fees, which account for most of its revenue, were accumulating since it started collecting them in the early 1990s.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
In effect, as the researchers recorded the state of the system at different instants, they were accumulating high-dimensional data points.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 26, 2022
Shadows were accumulating on his arms as he spun.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
