buy
verb (used with object)
to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, especially in money; purchase.
were buying
-
past progressiveof buy.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.
Some complained on social media that international tourists at Trader Joe’s were buying up all the mini canvas tote bags.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Six months ago, these same companies were buying back their own shares -- a move that signals excess cash and drives up the stock price.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Riley alerted the platform to discussions in OFM Empire that suggested agents were buying and selling creators' contracts without creators knowing.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
“We were buying transactions for $40 and making $20 margin on each transaction, then you would say, well, that’s great because we are acquiring a customer,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
And some of them were buying tickets at big black machines on the wall.
From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
