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 prosecutor's office is already investigating a criminal complaint regarding the 958,000-euro renovation of the tower's surrounding 700-metre wall, for which workers were painting a brick-effect concrete facade instead of laying brick cladding.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
But about five years ago, a university committee began to uncover how standard accounting measures were painting a misleading financial picture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
“They were painting it like I was crazy.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2024
On the shore of Penn Cove, Metzger and his crew were painting the shells of cockles found above the sand with a stripe of seafoam-colored nail polish.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2023
Standing on platforms, they were painting the webs and cords sage green.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
