were prospecting
-
past progressiveof prospect.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
prospectnounUsually prospects
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.
Pizzuto was camping with two other men near the town of McCall, in central Idaho, when he encountered 58-year-old Berta Herndon and her 37-year-old nephew Del Herndon, who were prospecting in the area.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2022
Pizzuto was camping with two other men when he encountered Berta Herndon, 58, and her nephew, Del Herndon, 37, who were prospecting in the area.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2022
International companies that were prospecting for oil a few years ago have now stopped work.
From Economist ● Nov. 12, 2015
Many of the rejects were "prospecting letters," mailings that fish for new clients and often hook only a 2% response -- plenty, by industry standards, to justify the flow.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
You were prospecting for a woman, and that woman happens to be my daughter.
From Glen of the High North by Cody, H. A. (Hiram Alfred)