survey
verb (used with object)
to take a general or comprehensive view of or appraise, as a situation, area of study, etc.
were surveying
-
past progressiveof survey.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.
The Bog Grass Moth was found at Cors Geirch National Nature Reserve on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, as conservationists were surveying the area's species.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
On Monday, while crews were surveying for damage, first responders spotted alarming cracks around some homes, Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jack Crabtree told the Long Beach Post.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
During the helicopter flight, we could see clear-cutting occurring within a couple of miles of the site that we were surveying and in roughly similar terrain.
From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2024
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — First responders in Tennessee were surveying damage from an apparent tornado that damaged homes on Saturday as a line of severe storms raked the area.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 9, 2023
If so, then she was obviously a surprise to them, by the suspicion and downright hostility with which the deacons’ wives were surveying her from feathered hat to slippered toe.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
