cross-examine
verb (used with object)
to examine by questions intended to check a previous examination; examine closely or minutely.
were cross-examining
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past progressiveof cross-examine.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.
If he were cross-examining a key witness for example, he said, he might pick a more subdued ensemble so as not to draw too much attention away from the task at hand.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 1, 2020
For the most part, the prosecutors handled these witnesses like the hot potatoes they were, cross-examining them only briefly.
From Time Magazine Archive
Here was a man distinctly superior to the others they had interviewed, a man of keen intellect and worldly knowledge, who would be instantly on his guard if he suspected they were cross-examining him.
From Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum
Well, when you were cross-examining the plaintiff you asked her about a certain china ornament you had given her, which seems to have been originally intended for another young lady.
From Baboo Jabberjee, B.A. by F. Anstey
He sounded as though he were cross-examining a reluctant witness.
From The Adventures of Sally by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
