serve
verb (used without object)
to act as a servant.
were serving
-
past progressiveof serve.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.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 2,271 people were serving IPP sentences in June.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Some of the cars were towed while soldiers were serving overseas, the lawsuit alleges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
District Judge Matthew Brann said no—they, too, were serving unlawfully as a “triumvirate” under both federal statutes and the Constitution’s appointments clause.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
Using a different imaging method, the researchers discovered that red blood cells were serving as the missing "glucose sink," meaning they were taking in and using significant amounts of glucose from circulation.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2026
For example, two years later, all the school cafeterias in town were serving delicious food at least four days a week, all because of Nick the Consumer.
From "Frindle" by Andrew Clements
