speak
verb (used without object)
to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk.
were speaking
-
past progressiveof speak.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.
Hill and Jean were speaking ahead of Diaspora Calling!
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“We were speaking for every librarian out there.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
The astronauts were speaking to news media less than two days before they are scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean at the end of their 10-day mission around the Moon.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
The company argued that the pair were speaking “off-the-cuff” and that their conversation amounted to “banter not… facts of consequence.”
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2026
These unconscious gestures, like their bodies were speaking to each other—Yes, you are here and I am here.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
