collect
verb (used with object)
to gather together; assemble.
were collecting
-
past progressiveof collect.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.
At the time, Goldfinger and his colleagues were collecting sediment cores from the Cascadia subduction zone off Oregon and northern California.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
"The area we were collecting in is karst, so it's made of sharp, edgy limestone, and it's lost all of its natural soils," Riegler said.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 3, 2026
Two years ago, U.S. intelligence officials issued a bulletin stating that the Chinese were collecting information about local officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2024
He replied: "When we came off the landing ship tank down on the beach, the Army were collecting the poor soldiers who drowned on the initial landing."
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2024
Sometime they’d strike out and seize the military supplies they knew the provincials were collecting.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
