swell
verb (used without object)
to grow in bulk, as by the absorption of moisture or the processes of growth.
were swelling
-
past progressiveof swell.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.
Photographers began to notice that her bookshelves were swelling with classics and that Monroe could discuss them with fluency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
A few hours later, it said several rivers in the area were swelling up and urged people to move away from the banks.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2024
Rivers were swelling across the country, with one in Barahona lapping at shacks made of tin where at least one resident used plastic buckets to raise his mattress above his home’s dirt floor.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
Wages had started to climb more quickly than usual, which meant that corporate labor bills were swelling.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
The bolls were swelling on the plants, performing their miraculous transformation from hard green pods into fluffy white spheres.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
