dare
verb (used without object)
to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough.
were daring
-
past progressiveof dare.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 that time, the families bereaved by the disaster - and the thousands who survived it - were daring to feel optimistic for the first time in more than 20 years.
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025
“They were daring us to shoot the three. We had a lot of open looks, and they didn’t go down,” Miller said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2024
Lombardi said the Chiefs’ defense was “very difficult to run against. I thought their secondary played rather loose. They were daring us to throw the ball.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 31, 2022
In other words, Manfred and MLB officials were daring the public to say they didn’t try — which is exactly what union leaders said later.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 2, 2021
She turned to face me head-on, as if she were daring me to get mad at her for interfering.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
