borrow
verb (used with object)
to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent.
were borrowing
-
past progressiveof borrow.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, investors had been heavily shorting Avis, meaning they were borrowing shares and selling them at market prices on a bet they could buy them back at a cheaper price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
Ryan said the reasons why people were borrowing had changed in recent years.
From BBC ● May 4, 2024
But much of that is tied to declines in bank holdings of securities, while small businesses in a recent survey indicated they were borrowing at about pre-pandemic levels.
From Reuters ● Jul. 20, 2023
Frankly, we were borrowing the equity that they created with Paper.
From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2023
The jostling ghosts were animated and eager, their eyes shining and their cheeks warm, as if they were borrowing life from the travelers.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
