approve
verb (used with object)
to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably.
were approving
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past progressiveof approve.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.
We don’t know exactly what those voters thought they were approving when they enshrined this into their founding charter.
From Slate ● Jan. 10, 2026
"It had to have a satire, so it wasn't saying we were approving of this guy."
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2017
Even public insurers were approving surgical procedures that, until recently, were accessible only to those who could pay out of pocket, despite medical consensus about their safety and efficacy.
From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2015
He sent a memo to military leaders warning them of that, even as they were approving Tillman's Silver Star.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 22, 2010
But it was she all the while they were approving, discussing, writing about, Linda Condon.
From Linda Condon by Joseph Hergesheimer
