rub
verb (used with object)
to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing.
were rubbing
-
past progressiveof rub.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.
He said: "My wife thought it may be because I had new sandals and they were rubbing on my big toe and that was causing it to be red."
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2023
The moral of the story here and my nostalgia for the Automat was about this time where people were rubbing elbows and they liked that.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2022
Hefele held his head in disbelief but he and the rest of the people in the stadium were rubbing their eyes in wonder six minutes later when Izzy Brown missed an even clearer opportunity.
From The Guardian ● May 29, 2017
His counterpart at Stoke City, Peter Coates, said he felt “all of the European clubs were rubbing their hands together” at the prospect of a Premier League team coming calling.
From New York Times ● Sep. 3, 2016
Tiny black ants were scurrying over the shattered melons; the flies were rubbing their feet on fragments of pulp and rind.
From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko
