drown
verb (used without object)
to die under water or other liquid of suffocation.
were drowning
-
past progressiveof drown.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.
Cristian Capotescu, an associate director at Columbia’s Trust Collaboratory who studies social trust, noticed the loudest voices were drowning out a silent majority.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The numbing lidocaine was injected first and sprayed down my windpipe, making me feel as if I were drowning.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
Operators were drowning in imagery, searching frame by frame for objects of interest that might appear for only a moment before vanishing.
From Barron's ● Apr. 5, 2026
“We were drowning in medical debt, and he was not doing well,” Elizabeth recalled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2022
I stared down at all those little raisins that used to seem so happy bobbing around like they were swimming, but now it looked like they were drowning in a sea of milk.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
