separate
verb (used with object)
to keep apart or divide, as by an intervening barrier or space.
were separating
-
past progressiveof separate.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.
Even so, when Paul told me that he and his partner were separating, my jaw hit the ground, taking a stray piece of grilled chicken with it.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Two friends recently called to say they were separating from their spouses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
But in 2007, Riordan announced they were separating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
They announced they were separating nine years later.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2022
The ships were separating into small groups as they descended, heading off in different directions, as if to blanket the entire surface of the planet.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
