miss
verb (used with object)
to fail to hit or strike.
were missing
-
past progressiveof miss.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.
Florian Ospina, in the school library, made sure no chess pieces were missing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
A couple of silver serving spoons were missing from a box of stainless-steel flatware that survived, said Chris, who did not report them to the authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The ship caught fire and seven crew members and a Ukrainian pilot had to be rescued, but two other crew members were missing, he added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Only four of the 19 Britons in the men's and women's singles draws made it through the first round, while both Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper were missing with injury.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
If the encyclopedias Dr. Zinchenko needed were missing, maybe they’d just move on to another question.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
