Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The scientific divers who found the sample were mapping and analysing seaweeds to check on the health of Cornish maerl beds, a project organised by Natural England.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
No part of this country, even quiet places like Kropyvnytskyi, where Taras and Olha were mapping out their futures, has been spared.
From New York Times ● Feb. 20, 2023
It’s not that the songs about grief and ambition were mapping new thematic territory; it’s definitely not that the “Born to Run” glockenspiel licks were doing something you’d never heard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2022
The men had been traveling the Itaquai River to interview Indigenous surveillance teams who were mapping criminal activity and defending their land from invaders.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 18, 2022
While the Respectables were putting most of their energies into making ends meet, the Refined were mapping out plans to make the heart of the black residential area a vibrant place to live.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
