gear
were gearing
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past progressiveof gear.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.
England fans were gearing up for a long overnight shift on Sunday to watch their last-16 tie against Mexico.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
It isn’t clear how many of the fans who showed up at Swatch’s doors on Saturday wanted the Royal Pop watch for themselves and how many were gearing up to resell the products online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
The Artemis astronauts were gearing up Saturday for their long-anticipated lunar flyby, including reviewing the surface features they must analyze and photograph during their time circling the Moon.
From Barron's ● Apr. 4, 2026
The change could potentially eliminate billions of dollars in fee revenue for the nation’s biggest banks, which were gearing up for a battle even before Wednesday’s announcement.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Back in Detroit, the newspaper strikers were gearing up for a huge holiday demonstration, to show the solidarity of unions against management.
From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
