Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Twitter, people were clowning the 35-year-old singer, piano player and bandleader for his slow cadence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2021
They were clowning on the people, which is very much in their humor and personality.
From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2018
Campbell plays the part as if he were clowning in an alehouse and bellows his lines like an order for more drink.
From Time Magazine Archive
