brew
verb (used with object)
to make (beer, ale, etc.) by steeping, boiling, and fermenting malt and hops.
were brewing
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past progressiveof brew.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.
Things were brewing, in many ways and on several fronts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Expectations were brewing that the S&P changes to include Sandisk or Strategy would have come in early December, as part of a regularly scheduled rebalance.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025
But behind the scenes, tensions were brewing almost from the beginning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025
One of the earliest signs that protests were brewing came in a Southport-themed group, which was set up on Telegram about six hours after the attack.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2024
Penelope felt as if a eureka were brewing someplace inside her, if only she could put all the pieces together.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
