swim
verb (used without object)
to move in water by movements of the limbs, fins, tail, etc.
were swimming
-
past progressiveof swim.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.
When he discovered that people were swimming across the frontier, he said, he took his children back home then returned alone to swim himself.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The fish — 6 years old and pretty big, as goldfish go — were swimming in a slurry of ash and debris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025
The morning shows and newsreels and college football games were swimming before my eyes.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2024
“This kind of technology wasn’t around when we were swimming 10 to 15 years ago,” Brock adds.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2024
Now a dozen were swimming around the giant’s legs.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
