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
He decided that “there would be no exercises as long as the two sides were negotiating in good faith.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
For some African countries who were negotiating the bilateral MOUs, it was concerns over US access to health data which set alarm bells ringing.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
At the time, Mom and her partners in the nursing homes were negotiating to sell the business, which was thriving.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
