return
verb (used without object)
to go or come back, as to a former place, position, or state: to return to public office;
were returning
-
past progressiveof return.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.
In an earnings call last week, Yum Brands said sales were returning in the wake of the cyclospora outbreak, helped by $1 deals on some of Taco Bell’s lettuce-free items.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
But the sun had started to set, and people were returning home from the beach or shopping at malls when the ground began to shake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Mamdani said those settlements were "returning the resources extracted by corporate greed back to those who needed it the most."
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
The monks, who were mainly students, were returning from Thailand after being treated to an all-expenses-paid four-day holiday by an unnamed sponsor when they were detained.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
It looked like they were returning from nothing more serious than an afternoon’s drive in the country.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
