spike
noun
a naillike fastener, 3 to 12 inches (7.6 to 30.5 centimeters) long and proportionately thicker than a common nail, for fastening together heavy timbers or railroad track.
were spiking
-
past progressiveof spike.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.
Prices were spiking for energy and for a wide variety of goods and services, with the average selling prices for goods and services at their highest level since July 2022.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
Less than a week before his billing cycle closed, he received a warning from SoCalGas that rates were spiking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2023
Numbers were spiking, but because the Turkish lira was in free fall, the authorities were resisting the economic hardship of another lockdown.
From New York Times ● May 12, 2022
Covid-19 cases were spiking, and hospitals were jammed.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 9, 2022
The clanging of rails had ceased an hour before, and the gang of men who were spiking the iron into place had dispersed each to his own home.
From Vignettes of Manhattan; Outlines in Local Color by Brander Matthews
