hire
verb (used with object)
to engage the services of (someone) for wages or other payment.
were hiring
-
past progressiveof hire.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.
Also, four years ago "businesses were hiring aggressively, vacancies were at record highs, and more people were moving jobs than normal", Harvey said, as the economy rebooted following Covid.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
If businesses were hiring more aggressively, wages would rise more rapidly.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
When I finished my Ph.D., a friend at Sanford C. Bernstein told me they were hiring analytical people and that the firm had my kind of DNA.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Just a couple of years ago, countries such as Mali and the Central African Republic were hiring mercenaries from the Kremlin-aligned Wagner Group to protect their leaders and fight their enemies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
Building contracts were like gold, and Uncle John happened to know some of the managers who were hiring these subcontractors.
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
