accuse
verb (used with object)
to charge with the fault, offense, or crime (usually followed byof ).
were accusing
-
past progressiveof accuse.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.
By then, critics were accusing the council of failing to do its homework, leaving voters to fill in the blanks on such questions as whether undocumented immigrants would be covered by the expanded franchise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
In a follow-up article, Mr. Rufo wrote that critics on the left were accusing him and his co-author of “racist” reporting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025
The announcement comes after the BBC revealed campaigners were accusing ministers of "watering down" initial promises about the new powers.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2024
At roughly the same time, the Justice Department inadvertently released a secret criminal complaint against Mr. Assange and Mr. Trump’s legal team learned that prosecutors were accusing Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman, of lying.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2018
“Aunty Phillipa is asking Mom to come over. At least people there get paid when they are supposed to,” Amaka said, bitterly, as though she were accusing someone of something.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
