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.
Developers were cranking out new senior-housing supply, but occupancy was eroding as move-in ages crept higher and a wave of “aging-in-place” technologies made it easier for seniors to remain at home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
It's a stark contrast with a year ago when central banks were cranking up the printing presses.
From Reuters ● Dec. 20, 2021
“It’s really a Spielberg/Lucas film for those that were too young for when those directors were cranking out their most iconic films. Stranger Things led the way.”
From The Guardian ● Sep. 14, 2017
“It wasn’t like they were cranking out TV and movie stars, so people were just doing it for the art form,” she told me.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 29, 2016
Within an hour after you left they had it assembled and were cranking out S O S signals.
From The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat
