employ
verb (used with object)
to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service.
were employing
-
past progressiveof employ.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.
And even when England were employing an orthodox method of Test batting, they eventually buckled to the relentless Australians.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
And it wasn’t just that companies in Scholten’s hometown were employing kids.
From Slate ● Mar. 9, 2023
Diversifying sources of raw materials was cited by 28% of firms, the same percentage who said they were employing energy and labour conservation efforts.
From Reuters ● Oct. 12, 2022
Image-conscious Silicon Valley executives were often reluctant to discuss where the hires came from, and keen to avoid criticism that they were employing the same intelligence gathering techniques the government used.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2021
What kind of man was it, then, whom the invisible powers of evil were employing to precipitate this insensate struggle?
From The Drama Of Three Hundred & Sixty-Five Days Scenes In The Great War by Sir Hall Caine
