maintain
verb (used with object)
were maintaining
-
past progressiveof maintain.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.
They also had smaller nucleoli and better-preserved nuclear architecture, both signs that the cells were maintaining a healthier internal structure.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, Zelensky said Kyiv's priorities in peace talks were maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty and securing strong security guarantees.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
We were maintaining households on both sides of the Atlantic, an expensive proposition.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2025
Zaluzhniy said Ukrainian forces around Kupiansk were "maintaining their defence in the most difficult of conditions".
From Reuters ● Oct. 19, 2023
With a population ten millions less than that of France, the Northern States were maintaining an army much larger than the one which accompanied Napoleon to Moscow.
From Cambridge Sketches by Frank Preston Stearns
