straggle
verb (used without object)
to spread or be spread in a scattered fashion or at irregular intervals.
were straggling
-
past progressiveof straggle.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.
New Orleanians were already fleeing the city in advance of the storm, but the starkness of Ricks’ message was hardly lost on those who were straggling or wavering.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 13, 2021
It was late afternoon, and many of the 706 passengers of the Italian cruise ship Angelina Laura were straggling back after a day of shopping in the small seaport of Charlotte Amalie in the U.S.
From Time Magazine Archive
From the first inning on. the San Francisco Giants were straggling back from the plate with their bats dragging.
From Time Magazine Archive
The whipped soldiers of the Wehrmacht in their grey-green uniforms were straggling back through the shattered cities. were all of a pattern.
From Time Magazine Archive
Their numbers would continue to swell, one hoped; more ships were straggling in every day.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
