scoop
noun
a ladle or ladlelike utensil, especially a small, deep-sided shovel with a short, horizontal handle, for taking up flour, sugar, etc.
were scooping
-
past progressiveof scoop.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.
It might also mean that some traders were scooping up put options, which act like a form of portfolio insurance.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2025
Spurred by their observation, Goldberg’s colleagues and colleagues put a camera in the tree where chimps were scooping up guano and eating it.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 22, 2024
By then, the coronavirus pandemic had heightened awareness of the attractive, small-town life that Bend offered, and remote workers with lucrative salaries were scooping up homes.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2023
Other residents in Sillim were scooping up water with large bowls or combing through the detritus to see whatever was still usable.
From Reuters ● Aug. 10, 2022
Archer felt as if the man were scooping him up and shaking him, so all the things he’d blocked out for so long, all the things he’d tried to forget, would come tumbling out.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
