agitate
verb (used with object)
to move or force into violent, irregular action.
were agitating
-
past progressiveof agitate.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.
Just as American women were pressing for the right to vote, the women at Newnham were agitating for change too.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 22, 2023
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant publicly backed carpenters who were agitating against union leadership and criticized the no-strike agreements.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2021
The first signs that forces were agitating to push her out came in 2017 or 2018.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 14, 2019
Over dinner in September, the two women shared stories of different entrepreneurs who were agitating for more diversity in tech.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2018
Her scalp tingled, as if the thoughts in her brain were agitating to get out: a statue...Athena...Greek and Roman, her nightmares, and her argument with her mom.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
