leach
verb (used with object)
to dissolve out soluble constituents from (ashes, soil, etc.) by percolation.
were leaching
-
past progressiveof leach.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.
According to a report on the New York Department of Health’s website, benzene and other substances were leaching into the water, soil, and air.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2024
Cleaning out the underground tanks that were leaching poisonous waste toward the Columbia River just six miles away and somehow stabilizing it for permanent disposal presented one of the most complex chemical problems ever encountered.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2023
Earlier restoration work has removed rusting shipwrecks that were leaching iron onto the reefs, fueling the growth of an invasive anemonelike animal called a corallimorph, which smothers corals.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 27, 2020
Galaznik said it was likely that Jace’s muscles so badly needed calcium that they were leaching it from his bones.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 16, 2020
“The salts in the water were leaching manganese—a neurotoxin—from the old pipes in the neighborhood,” he says.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 6, 2018
