negotiate
verb (used without object)
to deal or bargain with another or others, as in the preparation of a treaty or contract or in preliminaries to a business deal.
were negotiating
-
past progressiveof negotiate.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.
A German finance ministry spokesman had earlier conceded that the banks had moved into "a different phase now" and were negotiating a transaction.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Last time you wrote about this, the U.S. and Canada were negotiating new trade terms.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
While Ripley and Berger were negotiating the acquisition of the retail chain, Goad was stalking the brand from afar, as she puts it now, hoping to one day work on its turnaround.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
They said they were negotiating with trade union representatives about proposals to change the "academic staffing model" which would increase the use of grade 6 academic tutors, the lowest grade of staff.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
Down the block the neighborhood dead-ended in abandoned farmland that Mami read in the local paper the developers were negotiating to buy.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
