scrape
verb (used with object)
to deprive of or free from an outer layer, adhering matter, etc., or to smooth by drawing or rubbing something, especially a sharp or rough instrument, over the surface.
were scraping
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past progressiveof scrape.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 he would have had Microsoft force OpenAI to retrain its models, had he known they were scraping and training on paywalled information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Chair Dame Karen Bradley said it felt to the committee police were "scraping" to find a reason to justify the ban.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2026
“We were scraping the bottom of the barrel.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2023
Musk had said that hundreds of organizations or more were scraping Twitter data "extremely aggressively", impacting user experience.
From Reuters ● Jul. 1, 2023
Her voice sounded as if it were scraping its way out of her chest.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
