insist
verb (used without object)
to be emphatic, firm, or resolute on some matter of desire, demand, intention, etc..
were insisting
-
past progressiveof insist.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.
As recently as last month, Iran’s leaders were insisting they had limited their missile ranges to the equivalent of half the distance to Diego Garcia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
"At first I didn't even know who they meant because Ed wasn't famous then, but people were insisting I was this guy," Wes recalled.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2022
The same talking heads who were insisting he wasn’t an NFL quarterback are now lining up to talk about his unique skill-set.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 17, 2019
That’s what the Marlins were insisting on in order to send J.T. to the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2019
The National Guard was everywhere, and officials were insisting that the city was virtually empty.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
